What happened
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh urged stronger international collaboration as the 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Ministerial Meeting began in Chennai. Jitendra Singh said emerging technologies create significant opportunities and argued that countries should cooperate so innovation remains accessible, affordable, trusted, and sustainable.
Jitendra Singh described India’s BRICS 2026 theme as “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. He said the theme reflects a conviction that science and technology should serve humanity through equitable partnerships.
Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s inclusive and human-centric science and innovation commitments, citing these initiatives: National Quantum Mission, BioE3 Policy, National Geospatial Policy, and the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem.
Background and earlier position
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) holds sectoral engagement that includes science, technology, and innovation cooperation among member countries. BRICS STI ministerial meetings are used to discuss national priorities and possible areas of cooperation in research, innovation, and technology adoption.
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