India’s manufacturing sector is looking to the 18th BRICS Summit, being hosted in New Delhi on September 12-13, as an opportunity to deepen trade, strengthen supply chains and attract investment into emerging industrial sectors.
With India chairing the grouping under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” discussions on economic cooperation, digital payments, technology and business partnerships could influence the country’s manufacturing competitiveness.
India will hope to turn economic cooperation into tangible gains for businesses, including manufacturers and MSMEs during the ongoing BRICS summit.
In this article, we have covered India's manufacturing priorities at BRICS 2026. This includes Modi's trade proposals, the trade deficit challenge, and the digital payments push.
The BRICS Business Forum, held ahead of the leaders' summit, focused on private-sector collaboration. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pointed to India's expanding manufacturing base, deep talent pool and growing digital economy. He called for a predictable and transparent trade environment.
The forum, which brings together business leaders, ministers and policymakers, is expected to contribute recommendations on trade, investment, digital economy, MSMEs and value-chain integration.
For Indian manufacturers, this business-first framing matters. Companies are actively seeking new export markets and industrial partnerships across BRICS economies. The bloc now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a three-point strategy to strengthen economic cooperation among BRICS nations. The plan calls on the BRICS Business Council to:
If implemented, the group’s geographic reach offers Indian businesses potential access to markets across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
The opportunity comes alongside a real challenge. India recorded a merchandise trade deficit of USD 226 billion with BRICS countries in FY 2025-26. The figure comes from data cited by the Federation of Indian Export Organizations.
Exporters are seeking better market access, investment and technology partnerships to make India a stronger participant in BRICS production and sourcing networks.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has pushed for interconnected digital payment systems. He also wants greater use of local currencies and less trade friction among member nations.
BRICS finance chiefs have backed efforts to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, more transparent and safer, while stopping short of proposing a common currency.
Supply chain resilience is another major theme, especially for electronics, automobiles, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Diversified sourcing and stronger industrial networks could reduce India's exposure to global disruptions.
These issues are particularly important for sectors such as electronics, automobiles, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
Digital economy cooperation and artificial intelligence were also on the summit agenda. Both could bring gains in automation and supply chain management for MSMEs. But experts caution that differing trade policies and geopolitical tensions could slow real progress.
For India’s manufacturing sector, the success of the summit will depend on converting policy proposals into practical outcomes, including lower trade barriers, improved logistics, technology partnerships and greater export access.
The BRICS Summit could therefore become an important platform for India to promote its manufacturing capabilities and attract business interest. But the real test will be whether the grouping’s economic agenda translates into stronger production networks, genuine technology partnerships for Indian companies and exporters.
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