Ahmad Adil
13 September 2026•Update: 13 September 2026
- BRICS agrees on a bloc-integrated early warning system for response to infectious diseases, says Indian premier
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Global South countries' confidence in BRICS has increased amid rising tensions across the world.
Delivering an opening statement at the expanded session on the second day of the BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, Modi said: “We have tried to promote inclusive global growth through the BRICS.”
“We believe that the benefits of developed solutions in the BRICS should not only be limited to the BRICS. They should be made adaptable and accessible according to the needs of the Global South,” he said.
Noting that the “number of tensions in the world is constantly increasing,” Modi said the pandemic, climate disaster, and supply chain disruption have “shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis is limited to one area. That is why we have focused on increasing resilience in all areas.”
Addressing the BRICS leaders, Modi said: “The confidence of the countries of the Global South has increased in the BRICS.”
“Their voice is heard in the BRICS. Their experience is respected. And solutions are not only made for them, but are made together with them,” he added.
The BRICS bloc has been holding the annual summit of its leaders, including those of its partner nations, in the Indian capital since Saturday.
Modi was addressing the session on “resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.”
Stating that the power of BRICS “is in our diversity and cooperation,” Modi said: “We may be rooted in different realities, but together we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity.”
“Our diversity, our identity, our cooperation, our inspiration, and our progress should be useful to the entire humanity,” he said.
Regarding the number of countries participating in the BRICS summit, Modi said: “This is proof of the increasing power, attraction, and unparalleled faith of BRICS.”
BRICS agrees to establish early warning system
Modi said the bloc has “focused on increasing resilience in all areas.”
“We have agreed on a BRICS-integrated early warning system for the prevention and response of infectious diseases. Early warning data integration guidelines have been prepared for disaster management,” he said, adding that the BRICS logistic supply chain cooperation framework will help our supply chains become more reliable and resilient.
He also said the BRICS Incubator Network “will connect our startups and incubators to each other through innovation,” and the network on digital agriculture will create new opportunities for farmers.
Noting that the "weaponization of technology and critical minerals can be a barrier to our sustainable development," Modi said, adding: "We have focused on inclusivity in the adoption of technology."
The weekend summit in New Delhi is attended by the Chinese, Russian, and Iranian presidents, among others, and comes at a time when the US-Iran war has been ongoing for around seven months, while the Russia-Ukraine war has continued for more than four years.
