BRICS STI Cooperation | 23 Mar 2026

Source: TH

Why in News?

India assumed the BRICS Presidency in 2026 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, bringing Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) to the forefront of the bloc’s agenda.  

• The expansion into BRICS+ and the 2025 BRICS Rio de Janeiro Declaration further highlight a shift towards deep-tech collaboration, governance, and technology transfer.

How has STI Cooperation Evolved within BRICS?

• Sanya Declaration: In 2011 during 3rd BRICS Summit at Sanya, China, the S&T cooperation was formally recognized   and injected into the BRICS agenda, reflecting the need to explore joint research to address developmental challenges. 
• MoU on STI Cooperation: BRICS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation was signed in 2015.  
  • Also, the BRICS Young Scientist Forum (YSF) was established in 2015 to promote collaboration and networking among young scientists. 
• BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation (2017-2020): Marked an expansion from purely academic research to entrepreneurship and technology transfer. 
  • BRICS Technology Transfer Centre (TTC) was established to connect science parks, incubators, and startups, facilitating the cross-border commercialization of emerging technologies. 
• BRICS Science & Technology Ministers meeting: Held annually to set priorities, with national agencies like Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) (India) coordinating projects and proposals. 
• BRICS Innovation Action Plan (2021-2024): India spearheaded the BRICS Innovation Action Plan (2021-2024).  
  • Crucially, a landmark intergovernmental agreement was signed to share data from a BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, bypassing reliance on Western space agencies for earth observation data. 
• Expansion Towards Deep-Tech Innovation: The Kazan and Rio Declarations marked a major shift towards frontier technologies.  
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) was elevated from a sub-theme to a central governance pillar to ensure equitable, development-oriented AI standards. 
  • Simultaneously, the bloc expanded into BRICS+ bringing new capital and diverse technological capacities. 
  • India assumes the chair in 2026 with a strong mandate to leverage Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and scale tech collaboration across the expanded Global South.

How can India Emerge as a Key Driver of STI Cooperation within BRICS? 

• Leverage Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India can showcase its success in Aadhaar, UPI, Digital India as scalable models for digital cooperation within BRICS. 
  • India should propose establishing an open-source digital repository within BRICS, allowing newer members (like Ethiopia and Egypt) to adopt and customize modular DPI architectures for digital identity, e-governance, and direct benefit transfers without massive R&D costs. 
• Driving Mega-Science Projects: Historically, large-scale, capital-intensive mega-science facilities (such as CERN or ITER) have been concentrated in the West, which often necessitates that top-tier researchers from the Global South migrate to access them. 
  • Drawing on its experience with global projects like LIGO-India and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), India should advocate for the establishment of a BRICS Mega-Science Consortium. 
• Advancing Climate Tech Cooperation: India can leverage its foundational leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) to establish a BRICS Clean Energy R&D Consortium.  
  • Instead of relying on expensive Western intellectual property, this consortium would focus on joint development and open-source sharing of critical Climate Tech, specifically green hydrogen electrolyzers, utility-scale battery storage, and climate-resilient agricultural biotechnology. 
• Fostering "Paired Linkages": India can introduce a targeted mentorship or "paired collaboration" model, matching nations with advanced R&D in specific sectors (e.g., India in pharmaceuticals/IT, Brazil in biofuels) with newer members to rapidly build their domestic National Innovation Systems (NIS). 
• Healthcare Innovation: India can leverage its dual strengths as the "pharmacy of the world" and a pioneer in population-scale digital health (via platforms like CoWIN and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission).  
  • India should propose a BRICS Digital Health Grid for interoperable health records and telemedicine. 
• Coordinating AI and Emerging Tech Governance: As AI and quantum computing evolve, BRICS lacks a unified regulatory voice.  
  • Establishing a joint working group to draft ethical guidelines, data sovereignty norms, and cybersecurity standards will allow BRICS to act as a rule-maker rather than a rule-taker in global tech governance.

What Challenges Limit BRICS STI Cooperation? 

• Asymmetry in Capacity: There is a massive disparity in Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) within the BRICS.  
  • China heavily dominates the innovation landscape, while several newer members lag significantly. 
  • This asymmetry often turns "collaboration" into a one-way technology transfer, raising concerns about technological dependence on Beijing rather than genuine multilateral co-creation. 
• Heterogeneity of BRICS+: With the addition of new members with vastly different economic structures and strategic alignments, building consensus on mega-science projects has become highly complex. 
• The Geopolitical Trust Deficit: Strategic divergence, particularly the bilateral friction between India and China, severely restricts cooperation in dual-use and frontier technologies.  
  • National security concerns make it highly improbable for these nations to collaborate deeply on critical infrastructure like 5G/6G, Artificial Intelligence, or semiconductor manufacturing, despite joint BRICS declarations. 
• Institutional Voids: Unlike the European Union, which has robust, centralized institutions to manage its Horizon research programs, BRICS operates on an ad-hoc, rotating presidency model.  
  • The lack of a permanent, centralized STI Secretariat leads to a lack of continuity; projects initiated by one host country often lose momentum when the presidency shifts. 
• Fragmented and Modest Funding: Financial commitments to BRICS STI initiatives remain modest and highly decentralized.  
  • While the New Development Bank (NDB) exists, it has traditionally focused on physical infrastructure (roads, water) rather than establishing dedicated, large-scale funding windows for cross-border mega-science projects or deep-tech innovation hubs. 
• Weak Private Sector Integration: BRICS STI initiatives are heavily state-driven, relying mostly on government ministries and public research institutes (like CSIR in India).  
  • There is a distinct lack of deep engagement with private sector tech giants, venture capital, and grassroots startup ecosystems, which are the actual engines of modern technological innovation.

What Reforms are Needed to Strengthen BRICS STI Cooperation? 

• Institutional Deepening and Centralization: BRICS needs a permanent STI Secretariat to ensure continuity beyond the rotating presidency and effectively manage projects.  
  • A BRICS Technological Alliance can further shift cooperation towards a more integrated, bottom-up innovation ecosystem. 
• Mega-Science Joint Missions: Instead of fragmented projects, BRICS should invest in flagship mega-science initiatives such as shared satellite infrastructure and public health research networks, driving deeper and long-term collaboration. 
• Proactive Tech Governance: BRICS must move towards common standards in AI, data governance, and emerging technologies, while strengthening intellectual property frameworks to promote seamless innovation and technology transfer. 
• Private Sector Integration: Greater involvement of startups, venture capital, and industry players through platforms like iBRICS and B2B tech corridors is essential to translate research into scalable and commercially viable outcomes. 
• Dedicated R&D Financial Architecture: While the New Development Bank (NDB) excels at funding physical infrastructure, it is not optimized for high-risk, early-stage scientific research.  
  • BRICS needs a dedicated STI Innovation Fund that pools resources specifically for cross-border R&D, deep-tech incubation, and commercialization of joint patents.

Conclusion 

BRICS has emerged as a significant platform for scientific collaboration, but its long-term impact depends on stronger institutions, higher investment, and deeper integration. With India’s leadership in 2026, there is a crucial opportunity to transform BRICS STI cooperation into a robust and globally influential framework.