Trade Will Grow Only If Sailors Are Safe, Modi Urges BRICS to Remove 10 Trade Barriers and Create 1,000 Partnerships a Year

Source: Dainik Tribune | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 18:32:56 UTC

Key Points

• Modi said global trade can advance only if maritime routes are secure, supply chains remain open, and sailors are safe, reaffirming India's support for freedom of navigation and seafarer protection.
• He asked BRICS to identify and remove its top 10 trade barriers, support 100 BRICS startups to expand into other member markets each year, and forge 1,000 new business partnerships annually.
• Modi said BRICS members and partners represent nearly half of the world's population, about 40% of global GDP, and more than a quarter of global trade, while BRICS economies' combined GDP grew 4.5 times over two decades.
• He highlighted India's more than 200,000 registered startups and over 120 unicorns, and called for BRICS to help take such innovations to global markets.
• Modi proposed using India's digital public infrastructure and UPI as a platform for BRICS digital solutions, noting UPI accounts for about 50% of real-time payments globally.
• He cited India's infrastructure expansion and strategic capacities in shipbuilding, semiconductors, quantum technology, critical minerals, and biotechnology as opportunities for global businesses.
• He referenced India's free trade agreements with about 40 countries and said BRICS should similarly reduce barriers and expand opportunities for companies.