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The BRICS New Delhi Declaration is expected to translate into stronger economic cooperation, women-led innovation and more resilient digital infrastructure across the grouping, with industry leaders calling for the commitments to move towards tangible outcomes for businesses and citizens.
BRICS CCI Chairman Sameep Shastri said the declaration represented an important step towards a more inclusive and representative global order, while commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership of India's BRICS Presidency. He said the focus on the Global South, economic cooperation, innovation and sustainable development creates an opportunity to build stronger business linkages and deliver concrete outcomes. "The real opportunity now lies in translating these commitments into meaningful action, stronger business linkages and tangible outcomes for our people and economies," Shastri said. The declaration also places greater emphasis on women at the centre of economic growth, with Ruby Sinha, President, BRICS CCI WE (Women Empowerment) and Founder of sheatwork, highlighting the need to extend the agenda towards women's leadership in innovation and science. Sinha said the declaration reflected Modi's commitment to women-led development, including through financial and digital inclusion and entrepreneurship. She called for women's leadership in innovation and science to receive institutional recognition within BRICS. She also highlighted the Women in Innovation, Science & Entrepreneurship (WISE) initiative, which focuses on three pillars -- innovation and collaboration, access to funding, and policy advocacy. The initiative has received recognition in countries including South Africa and Brazil and seeks to advance women-led innovation across the wider BRICS+ community. The telecommunications sector also welcomed the declaration's recognition of connectivity as a critical component of economic development and resilience. Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said the declaration's emphasis on telecommunications, interoperable ICT security standards and submarine cable infrastructure aligned with priorities already being pursued by the industry. "The recognition of submarine cable infrastructure as critical to network resilience is equally welcome," Kochhar said, adding that BRICS cooperation on artificial intelligence safety and energy efficiency was also aligned with the development of AI-native networks by telecom operators. He said the declaration's framing of telecommunications as vital to peace and economic development reaffirmed that connectivity should be treated as core national infrastructure. (ANI)
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