India has proposed establishing a digital public infrastructure repository for Brics countries as part of comprehensive digital transformation support initiatives. According to reports from Business Standard, this proposal emerged from discussions among communications ministers of Brics member states during the 12th Brics communications ministers meeting. The repository would serve as a knowledge sharing platform showcasing best practices, open platforms, and successful digital public infrastructure models from Brics countries to advance digital public infrastructure work. As reported by The Economic Times, this concept was first presented during BRICS ICT track meetings in Pune earlier in the year, drawing directly on India's own experience building large scale digital identity, payments and public service platforms such as Aadhaar and UPI.
India has proposed six concrete initiatives under its innovation pillar covering funding, incubation, research and governance as part of its 2026 chairship theme. According to The Economic Times, these initiatives include a BRICS Startup Support Fund prioritising projects in AI, fintech and digital public infrastructure, health technology, renewable energy, agri tech, space applications, cybersecurity and critical mineral processing. The framework also encompasses a BRICS Incubator Network for shared incubation structure encouraging joint ventures and technology transfer between startups from two or more member countries, with preferential funding for collaborative projects. Additionally, India has proposed a research repository described as "one library of science for eleven countries," a shared knowledge base intended to connect research institutions across the bloc, and a Youth Platform for mentorship and knowledge sharing aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs.
Artificial intelligence sits alongside digital public infrastructure as a top agenda item at the 18th BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi, with stakes extending beyond technical cooperation. As reported by The Economic Times, one open question at the summit is who ends up writing the rules of the emerging AI economy, since generative AI is already reshaping trade, production, finance and customer reach. India has pushed a specific tone urging BRICS members to keep artificial intelligence secure, sustainable and people centric, building on the India AI Impact Summit hosted at the same venue in February 2026, which drew participation from more than 80 countries. The summit has also prioritized cybersecurity cooperation, including proposals for a more formal BRICS level alliance, as AI now automates infrastructure analysis, phishing and vulnerability detection that helps attackers scale efforts against both individuals and institutions.
India has also proposed capacity-building centres for Brics member states to develop a future-ready workforce for digital transformation. As reported by Business Standard, these centres would focus on building capabilities across Brics countries to support their digital transformation efforts. The initiative includes voluntary pilot projects of DPI solutions for digital transformation that will be demand-driven and cross-Brics projects by countries with established capabilities in digital public infrastructure. The proposed framework emphasizes voluntary contributions and shared resources among Brics countries, with the statement encouraging Brics countries to contribute voluntarily and benefit from shared resources, publications, and technical materials. As reported by The Economic Times, the pilot projects will be demand-driven and cross-Brics in nature, designed to support innovations and address context-specific digital transformation challenges across the member nations.
The digital transformation initiatives are structured around four key pillars identified by Brics member countries. According to the joint statement issued last month, these pillars include sustainable and resilient digital and ICT ecosystems, cybersecurity and trustworthy ICT, digital skilling and capacity building, and innovation, startups and entrepreneurship. India assumed the chairship of Brics in 2026 and is leading these digital transformation discussions among member countries. As reported by The Economic Times, BRICS has grown into an eleven-nation bloc representing close to half the world's population and its agenda has moved beyond trade and development finance, with AI and digital transformation now sitting at the center of conversations alongside questions about who writes the rules for the next phase of the global digital economy.
