Overview
- The 12th BRICS Communications Ministers' Meeting in Pune, held on Friday, Aug 21, ended with ministerial commitments to deepen cooperation on digital public infrastructure, future networks, cybersecurity, capacity building and emerging technologies.
- India and Brazil signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding at the meeting to expand cooperation on universal connectivity, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, emerging technologies and exchanges of best practices.
- Indian officials said they are prepared to share modular, open-source DPI building blocks such as Aadhaar and DigiLocker so other countries can adopt low-cost digital ID and document services without heavy licensing costs.
- India’s Department of Telecommunications is leading BRICS working-group talks that propose BRICS Capacity Building Centres and formal mechanisms for DPI sharing, while coordinated BRICS advocacy in international standards bodies is the next implementation priority.
- At the 14th BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting in Chennai, ministers highlighted India’s National Supercomputing Mission and called for research partnerships, talent mobility and shared infrastructure that could boost innovation and make technology more accessible across the Global South.