Overview
- The BRICS Culture Working Group met in Bhopal from August 5 to 8 and has moved to finalise a draft called the Sanchi Cultural Connect Declaration for the upcoming 11th BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting.
- Delegations from core BRICS members and partner countries attended in person or hybrid and the talks produced concrete proposals for sub‑working groups on the creative economy, copyright and AI.
- Officials proposed institutional tools including a BRICS artist registry, a Heritage Provenance Research Hub and a BRICS Cultural Connect digital platform to share digitized archives and coordinate projects.
- India showcased its Gyan Bharatam manuscript digitisation drive and Project Mausam maritime heritage at public exhibitions while a two‑day BRICS Cultural Festival brought artists from six to eleven countries together for joint performances.
- If ministers endorse the working group’s package, the measures could standardise heritage digitisation, shape rules for AI use in cultural work and open new markets for creative industries across BRICS members.