Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on BRICS members to reduce trade barriers, expand market access, and strengthen supply-chain stability at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on September 11. He said that over the past 12 years, India has focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainable development in its economic and trade policies, while seeking to diversify and strengthen supply chains in areas including energy and technology.
Modi said that as global trade barriers increase, India is “building economic bridges,” noting that it has reached or advanced free-trade agreements with about 40 countries since 2014. He urged the BRICS Business Council to identify and address 10 major trade barriers among member countries, help 100 BRICS startups enter other BRICS markets each year, and promote 1,000 new business partnerships among BRICS companies.
Indian media linked Modi’s remarks to longstanding trade and supply-chain issues between India and China. The Times of India reported that Modi’s push to expand intra-BRICS trade also reflected India’s calls for greater Chinese market access for Indian goods and for China to avoid “weaponizing” supplies of equipment and raw materials needed by Indian manufacturers. Although India-China economic ties have recently improved, market access, trade imbalances, and supply-chain issues remain areas of concern. Reuters reported that bilateral trade reached $155.6 billion in 2025, with India importing about $132 billion from China and running a trade deficit of more than $100 billion.
Source: Epoch Times, September 13, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/9/13/n14848562.htm