Innovation Must Remain Sustainable, People-Centric: Scindia At BRICS Communication Ministers' Meet

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said that although technological advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, are reshaping economics and societies, there is a need to ensure that innovation remains secure, sustainable and people-centric.

He made the statement while chairing the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers' Meeting here.

The meeting was held under India's Chairship with the theme "Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future", and was attended by communications ministers and heads of delegation of BRICS member countries.

"India assumes the Chairship in 2026. We do so with humility and a shared commitment to our theme -- building resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability," Scindia said, opening the meeting.

"Today, the world stands at the cusp of a profound technological transformation. AI, Next Gen Networks, SATCOM, Cloud Computing and advanced Digital Infrastructure are reshaping economics and societies. We must ensure that innovation remains secure, inclusive, sustainable and people-centric," he added.

The Minister of Communications said the ICT Track under India's Chairship rests on four pillars - sustainable and resilient digital and ICT ecosystems; cybersecurity and trustworthy ICT; digital skilling and capacity building; and innovation, startups and entrepreneurship.

The meeting was preceded by the 7th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group for Cooperation in ICTs from August 17 to 19, the Council Meeting of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks, meetings of the Focus Group on Digital Public Infrastructure and the Digital BRICS Task Force, and the Digital BRICS Forum and Expo on August 20 and 21.

Addressing a press briefing after the meeting, Scindia said, "We have prepared comprehensive discussions and priorities that will shape our future ICT cooperation within BRICS. Eight pillars in particular -- universal and meaningful connectivity; resilient public infrastructure; trusted, secure, and people-centric ecosystems; digital public infrastructure; artificial intelligence and future network technologies; innovation startups and entrepreneurship; and digital scaling and enhanced cooperation amongst our BRICS countries." "BRICS has a growing role to play in the global forum, considering half of humanity lies in this region, and two-fifths of the world's economy lies in this region. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed monumental transformation in the last decade," he said.

The ministers later visited the Digital BRICS Forum Expo, showcasing telecom solutions by domestic and international tech enterprises, officials said.