BRICS MoU on Standardisation Would Create Framework for Collaboration: Pralhad Joshi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said the fifth meeting of heads of BRICS National Standardisation Bodies (NSBs) in Bengaluru would mark a major achievement with the signing of the long-pending BRICS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in standardisation, creating a formal framework for collaboration among member nations.

The minister, who holds consumer affairs, food and public distribution portfolio, said the two-day meeting, being held under India's 2026 BRICS Chairship, would also deliberate on standards for artificial intelligence (AI), trade facilitation, technical cooperation and capacity building, while enabling BRICS countries to jointly shape international standards.

"One of the most significant outcomes we expect from this meeting is the finalisation and signing of the BRICS MoUs on cooperation in the field of standardisation. Now we have finalised the MoU with all BRICS countries, and today it will be signed. This is the major achievement in this summit," Joshi told reporters.

He said cooperation in standardisation under BRICS began in 2022 and previous NSB meetings were held in China, South Africa, Russia and Brazil before India hosted the fifth edition in Bengaluru.

The minister said the MoU would promote information sharing, exchange of best practices, technical collaboration and capacity building among the NSB of BRICS countries.

“The MoU will create a formal framework of cooperation among the NSB of the BRICS countries and promote the information sharing, exchange of best practices, and technical collaboration and capacity building,” Joshi explained.

Emphasising the growing importance of standards in global trade, he said the standard bodies have become very important.

The Minister explained that BIS would present India's work on AI standardisation during the meeting, with discussions focusing on "safe, ethical, transparent, interoperable and trustworthy AI" to support responsible AI development, accountability and risk management.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said standards were essential for building trust and confidence in global trade and that the BRICS MoU would strengthen cooperation among member countries.

"If we have to make quality as our mantra for manufacturing, this is going to help in the trade and commerce between the countries of BRICS," she said.

Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Sanjay Garg described the MoU as the "first of its kind" involving all 11 BRICS members and said India had built consensus after several years of negotiations.

"It will be a landmark achievement for signing this MoU today in this meeting," he said.

The officer said that coordinated efforts by BRICS nations could help shape international standards at global forums such as ISO and IEC.

Responding to questions on manufacturing, Joshi said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government had transformed India into a growing manufacturing hub over the past 12 years, citing growth in electronics, semiconductors, solar modules and renewable energy.

He also said India's push for Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) manufacturing was aimed at ensuring high-quality products with minimal environmental impact, while asserting that India remained the world's fastest-growing major economy despite global geopolitical challenges.