Page 8 - The Indian EYE 091826

EYE ON INDIA SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 | The Indian Eye 8

How India showcased the architect of

digital frontier to fellow BRICS members

Beyond financial technology, the summit was strategically structured to present India

as an ecosystem capable of driving global startup innovation

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi
t the 18th BRICS Summit
in New Delhi, the Narendra
AModi administration trans-
formed a traditional diplomatic
gathering into a high-octane stage to
position India as the premier techno-
logical powerhouse and solutions hub
for the Global South. Rather than fo-
cusing solely on conventional geopo-
litical debates, New Delhi leveraged
its platform as chair to highlight In-
dia’s homegrown innovations. From
scale-defying financial technology to
equitable artificial intelligence, In-
dia presented its technological infra-
structure as an inclusive, open-source
model designed for global adoption.
Democratizing Financial
Infrastructure
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and BRICS leaders visit the Bharat Innovates
entral to India’s showcase
was its revolutionary Unified exhibition at the 18th BRICS Summit 2026, in New Delhi on Saturday. (DPR PMO/ANI Photo)
CPayments Interface (UPI). In
his key addresses at the summit and positioned its Digital Public Infra- trepreneurs with finance and global ogy and critical minerals can hinder
surrounding forums, Prime Minister structure (DPI) as a public good markets, and the BRICS Startup our shared progress,” the Prime Min-
Modi highlighted how India’s domes- available to all developing econ- Innovation Fund to invest in scal- ister urged world leaders to commit
tic payment architecture has scaled omies. As Modi succinctly put it: able deep-tech solutions. Highlight- to inclusive technology adoption and
to redefine international financial “Bharat democratized technology, ing India’s evolving role amid global secure supply chains.
benchmarks. Calling attention to the showing a new path through Digital market uncertainties, Prime Minis- Navigating the rapid expan-
sheer magnitude of India’s fintech Public Infrastructure.” ter Modi emphasized India’s emer- sion of next-generation digital tools,
adoption, Prime Minister Modi not- Fostering Enterprise and Startup gence as an operational engine for India championed its operational
ed during the proceedings: “India’s Innovation developing nations: “India today is a philosophy of ‘AI for All’. Modi out-
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) paramount example of stability and lined how India is actively deploying
has given new momentum to finan- eyond financial technology, growth... India is becoming the glob- artificial intelligence at scale across
cial inclusion and digital transactions the summit was strategically al centre for development, and India agriculture, health, education, and
at population scale. Today, 50% of Bstructured to present India as is also turning into a global solutions public governance through initiatives
the world’s real-time payments take an ecosystem capable of driving glob- hub.” like the BRICS Network on Digital
place through this technology.” al startup innovation. Recognizing Inclusive AI and Supply Chain Agriculture. He called on the inter-
The Modi government made a that real economic resilience relies Safeguards national community to balance rapid
compelling case for connecting na- on high-growth technology ventures, innovation with ethical guardrails, ad-
tional payment rails directly across the Modi government launched insti- he final pillar of India’s tech- vocating for governance frameworks
BRICS member states. Commerce tutional mechanisms to directly con- nology showcase focused on that treat technology as an equalizer
and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal nect tech enterprises across the bloc. Tthe ethical deployment of rather than a divider. By ground-
reinforced this vision, urging part- To turn domestic successes into emerging technologies. Delivering a ing its diplomatic pitch in concrete
ner countries to link their domestic collaborative global ventures, In- strong message during the main sum- achievements—supported by massive
settlement infrastructure directly dia led the establishment of a trio mit sessions in the presence of lead- transaction volumes, open-source
with UPI to cut high cross-border of innovation initiatives: the BRICS ers like Chinese President Xi Jinping software, and inclusive policy frame-
remittance fees and accelerate trade Incubator Network to connect start- and Russian President Vladimir Pu- works—the Modi administration suc-
among small and medium enter- ups and incubators across member tin, Modi cautioned against restric- cessfully transformed the New Delhi
prises. Rather than advocating for nations, the BRICS MSME Coop- tive technological cartels. Warning Summit into a global launching pad
a closed, proprietary network, India eration Portal to connect small en- that “the weaponisation of technol- for India’s digital governance model.

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