BRICS NSB Summit 2025: Pralhad Joshi inaugurates meet in Bengaluru, flags AI standards push
Synopsis
India used its BRICS presidency to convene all 11 member nations in Bengaluru for a landmark standards summit — and the agenda goes far beyond trade paperwork. A formal cooperation framework is set to be signed, BIS is pitching India's AI standardisation model, and New Delhi has confirmed it will host the 18th BRICS Summit later this year. For a bloc covering 40% of global GDP, agreeing on shared standards could reshape how a third of the world's trade is governed.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the fifth BRICS NSB Summit in Bengaluru on 16 July 2025 under India's BRICS presidency.
All 11 BRICS member nations are represented, including new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Member nations are set to finalise and sign a formal BRICS standards cooperation framework covering information sharing, technical collaboration and capacity building.
India's BIS will present its AI standardisation model, focusing on safe, ethical and interoperable AI systems.
India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi later in 2025 — its fourth time as host.
BRICS collectively represents 49.5% of global population , 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade .
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday, 16 July inaugurated the fifth BRICS National Standards Bodies (NSB) Summit in Bengaluru, asserting that BRICS cooperation now stretches well beyond economic collaboration to encompass counter-terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, trade, technology, and digital governance. The two-day summit is being held under India's BRICS presidency.
Summit Overview and Participating Nations
Themed 'Cooperation in Standardisation under BRICS', the summit has brought together heads of National Standards Bodies from all 11 BRICS member countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the first time the expanded BRICS grouping — which grew from five to eleven members — has convened its standards bodies at this level under a single host.
Minister Joshi underscored the significance of the venue: 'It is a matter of great pride that Bengaluru is hosting the heads of National Standards Bodies from all 11 BRICS nations. India is privileged to chair this important meeting on behalf of all member countries,' he said.
Key Announcement: India to Host 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi
On the sidelines of the inauguration, Minister Joshi announced that India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi later this year. India has previously hosted BRICS summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021, making this its fourth time as host nation for the flagship gathering.
Agreement on Standards Cooperation Framework
The Bengaluru summit is expected to be a milestone meeting: member nations are set to finalise and sign a formal agreement establishing a cooperation framework among BRICS National Standards Bodies. The proposed framework aims to facilitate information sharing, technical collaboration, and capacity building across member states — a step that analysts say could accelerate regulatory convergence among economies representing nearly 49.5% of the world's population, around 40% of global GDP and approximately 26% of global trade.
Cooperation in standardisation within BRICS formally began in 2022, with the first NSB meeting held in China. Subsequent editions were hosted by South Africa in 2023, Russia in 2024 and Brazil in 2025, with India taking the chair for the fifth edition this year.
India's AI Standardisation Pitch
A highlight of the summit will be a presentation by India's national standards body, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), on India's approach to standardisation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The presentation will focus on safe, ethical, transparent, interoperable, and trustworthy AI systems, while addressing accountability and risk management — areas where global consensus remains elusive.
Minister Joshi noted that BIS has upheld quality and standardisation for nearly eight decades and has played a central role in facilitating commerce and industry across India. 'Greater cooperation in standardisation among BRICS countries will facilitate smoother trade and commerce, strengthen global competitiveness and help align international standards,' he added.
Broader BRICS Agenda
Beyond standardisation, Minister Joshi highlighted BRICS's expanding mandate — reforms to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), agriculture, labour, finance, and emerging technologies. This comes amid growing calls within the grouping to build institutional structures that reflect the economic weight of the Global South. The Bengaluru summit is expected to reinforce the bloc's collective commitment to shaping global standards in an increasingly interconnected world.
Point of View
Product specifications, and ultimately market access. With BRICS now accounting for 40% of global GDP, a shared standards architecture could become a parallel track to ISO and IEC, giving the bloc structural leverage in global commerce. India's choice to lead with an AI standardisation pitch is strategically astute: it positions BIS as a rule-setter rather than a rule-taker at a moment when global AI governance norms are still being written. The risk is that the framework remains aspirational — BRICS's record on converting summit-level agreements into operational mechanisms has been uneven, and the geopolitical fault lines within the expanded grouping (notably between India and China) could slow ratification and implementation.
NationPress
16 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BRICS NSB Summit held in Bengaluru?
The BRICS NSB Summit is a gathering of heads of National Standards Bodies from all 11 BRICS member nations, held in Bengaluru on 16–17 July 2025 under India's BRICS presidency. It is the fifth edition of the summit and the first under the expanded 11-member grouping.
What agreement is expected to be signed at the Bengaluru summit?
Member nations are expected to finalise and sign a formal cooperation framework among BRICS National Standards Bodies, aimed at facilitating information sharing, technical collaboration and capacity building. This would be the first binding institutional structure for standards cooperation within BRICS.
Why is India presenting on AI standardisation at the summit?
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will present India's approach to standardisation in Artificial Intelligence technologies, covering safe, ethical, transparent, interoperable and trustworthy AI systems. The presentation also addresses accountability and risk management, areas where no global consensus currently exists.
When will India host the 18th BRICS Summit?
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi later in 2025. India has previously hosted BRICS summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
How large is the BRICS bloc in economic terms?
BRICS collectively represents nearly 49.5% of the world's population, around 40% of global GDP and approximately 26% of global trade, according to figures cited by Minister Joshi at the summit inauguration.
