The BRICS Summit concluded on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with member nations adopting the New Delhi Declaration 2026 unanimously on the opening day of the two-day summit held on September 12-13. According to reports from Business Standard, the declaration emphasizes that connectivity is core national infrastructure and calls for interoperable ICT security standards to ensure sovereignty and national security of each country. As reported by United Nations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated PM Modi on India's BRICS presidency and acknowledged the grouping's ability to produce a joint declaration as a credit to India's leadership.
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) director general S P Kochhar stated that the declaration's framing of telecommunications as vital to peace and economic development reaffirms what Indian operators have long argued, that connectivity is core national infrastructure. As reported by Business Standard, the declaration's call for interoperable ICT security standards mirrors the trusted-sources approach that India's telecom industry has already embraced, with regulations permitting equipment only from trusted sources approved by the government based on specific security standards.
The declaration calls for developing and implementing global, common rules for supply chain security while addressing potential misuse of ICTs leading to cybercrime, misinformation and deepfakes. According to Business Standard, BRICS nations also backed the need for open, safe and interoperable information and communication technologies (ICT) while emphasizing a comprehensive, balanced and objective approach to ICT product and system development. The forum also urged all BRICS members to nominate a national branch for BIFN and establish a digital ecosystem cooperation network for BRICS countries.
PM Modi proposed that BRICS countries collectively prepare 10 proposals for global governance reform, which could be formulated into a BRICS Reform Roadmap by the next summit. As reported by United Nations, Modi said the roadmap should focus on representation, responsiveness, and rule-making, with UN Security Council reform being a priority that "cannot be delayed" and should be linked to a fixed timeframe and clear outcomes. The declaration reaffirmed support for comprehensive UN reform to make the Council more democratic and representative, with BRICS countries continuing to play a pivotal role in voicing Global South concerns.
The declaration recognizes submarine cable infrastructure as critical to network resilience and supports the BRICS Institute of Future Networks (BIFN) as a collaborative platform for research, development and cooperation in ICTs. As reported by Business Standard, BIFN focuses primarily on 5G-Advanced, 6G and satellite/non-terrestrial networks, AI and emerging technologies in industry use. The nations also backed the proposal to launch the digital public infrastructure (DPI) repository for member countries and pilot projects of DPI solutions for digital transformation. The declaration also calls for wider access to AI resources alongside safe-guards for safety and reliability, and committed "to implement the BRICS Leaders' Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence".
