A delegation from the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI) met with Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh in New Delhi on Monday, 29 June to explore ways of deepening industry-led engagement across BRICS and BRICS Plus nations, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology. The meeting centred on harnessing innovation, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship to build stronger cross-border partnerships.

Key Discussions

The delegation briefed Dr. Singh on the Chamber's work over the past decade, covering trade facilitation, business-to-business engagement, women entrepreneurship, startup networking, Artificial Intelligence (AI), research partnerships, and sectoral cooperation among BRICS and BRICS Plus countries. Representatives said the Chamber's initiatives are designed to connect Indian innovators with partner-country ecosystems in a structured, sector-specific manner.

The delegation was led by Sameep Shastri, Chairman of BRICS CCI, and included Atul Bansal, Vice Chairman, and Shabana Nasim, Vice Chairperson, along with other office bearers.

What the Minister Said

Dr. Singh said India's growing stature as a global innovation hub and its leadership in emerging technologies present an ideal opportunity for industry organisations to forge stronger international partnerships that contribute to both national growth and global development. He pointed to progress in sectors such as space, biotechnology, AI, nuclear energy, and deep technology as evidence of India's readiness to lead collaborative frameworks.

The minister noted that reforms of the last decade have transformed these sectors into engines of economic growth and entrepreneurship, creating significant openings for government-industry-academia collaboration. He encouraged the Chamber to deepen its engagement with the wider BRICS ecosystem through sector-specific meetings, innovation forums, and thematic engagements.

Call to Action for BRICS CCI

Dr. Singh also invited the Chamber to identify focused areas of cooperation aligned with India's scientific and technological priorities and to develop sector-specific proposals that could facilitate productive engagement. Industry platforms such as BRICS CCI, he said, can serve as bridges between Indian startups and innovation ecosystems across partner countries while promoting technology-led economic engagement.

Broader Significance

This comes amid India's sustained push to position itself as a technology and innovation leader within multilateral groupings. The BRICS Plus framework — which extends the original five-nation bloc — has gained renewed relevance as emerging economies seek alternatives to Western-led trade and technology architectures. Notably, the meeting reflects a broader government strategy of channelling private-sector energy into diplomatic and economic outreach, particularly in high-growth domains like AI and deep tech.

The Chamber is expected to develop sector-specific cooperation proposals in the coming weeks, with further engagement through BRICS innovation forums on the horizon.