New Delhi: Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday spotlighted the flagship 'Bharat Innovates' initiative, stating that the program serves as a crucial bridge to propel advancements from India's higher education and research institutions onto the global stage.
Addressing the media, Joshi welcomed the delegates and dignitaries to the Bharat Innovates exposition held alongside the BRICS events and emphasised that the flagship program is specifically structured to channel breakthroughs originating in higher education and research institutions onto the international stage.
He said, "It is a matter of great pride to welcome you to the Bharat Innovates exposition at BRICS 2026. Bharat Innovates is a flagship initiative of the Government of India designed to take innovation emerging from higher education and research institutions to the world."
Underscoring India's ongoing role during its BRICS Chairship, the education minister reaffirmed the nation's dedication to fostering resilient international collaborations.
Crediting the sustained growth of the domestic technology landscape to political leadership, Joshi added, "Under the visionary leadership of PM Modi, the journey of India's innovation ecosystem has grown rapidly, and the journey of Bharat Innovates has already created a global impact and made a global showcase."
Underscoring India's collaborative framework, the education minister reaffirmed the nation's dedication to cross-border cooperation, noting that these efforts seamlessly connect ideas from labs to markets and carry domestic ingenuity from India to the world.
“As India leads the BRICS chairship, we remain committed to building stronger partnerships in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, from lab to market and from India to the world," Joshi stated.
Meanwhile, tight security arrangements, including the deployment of dog squads, have been put in place at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13.
To ensure safety at the event, Delhi Police has mobilised around 15,000 personnel and nearly 200 companies of paramilitary forces for security arrangements.
Delhi Police has mobilised over 15,000 personnel for these arrangements. The MHA has provided us with approximately 200 CAPF companies, which are being deployed for law and order duties and other operational tasks, Special Commissioner of Police (Security) Manish Agarwal said on Friday.
The theme of this year's summit is “Building Resilience for Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development.”
India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously chaired the grouping in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
The grouping currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.
The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that global trade can move forward only when sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open, and seafarers are safe and stressed that India is a staunch advocate of freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers.
Addressing the BRICS Business Forum 2026 ahead of the formal opening of the BRICS Summit on Saturday, PM Modi said BRICS countries represent 50% of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global GDP, and more than 25 per cent of global trade.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.