Xi in the room, PM Modi warns against ‘weaponisation of critical minerals’
Modi Calls for Open Access to Technology and Critical Minerals at BRICS Summit
Thedeshpost.com – Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the closing day of the BRICS summit in New Delhi to caution against turning advanced technology and critical minerals into instruments of geopolitical pressure. Speaking on Sunday, he said restrictive control over such resources could slow collective development and argued that access to innovation should be inclusive.
The comments came during the India-hosted summit on September 12 and 13, held under the chairship theme, “Building for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.” The final phase of the meeting focused on the four priorities India has outlined for its 2026 BRICS chairship: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
Modi’s remarks carried added significance because Chinese President Xi Jinping was present. The Prime Minister did not identify any country, but his reference to critical minerals highlighted a major concern for countries dependent on global supply chains for rare earths and other materials needed in modern manufacturing.
Concern Over Strategic Supply Chains
Critical minerals are essential to a wide range of industries, including electric vehicles, renewable-energy equipment, electronics, artificial intelligence infrastructure and semiconductor production. Rare-earth elements are especially important for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and AI data centres, as well as components used in sophisticated electronic devices.
China has a dominant role in this sector, controlling more than 90 percent of global rare-earth refining. That position gives Beijing considerable influence over materials that many countries consider central to their industrial and technological ambitions.
Last year, China strengthened export controls on rare earths and other materials important for advanced technology manufacturing during trade negotiations with the United States. Such moves have sharpened international attention on the risks created when a small number of suppliers hold major positions in strategically important markets.
Against that backdrop, Modi said technological progress should be shared rather than restricted.
The weaponisation of technology and critical minerals could hinder our shared progress; therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology.
His statement linked supply-chain security with a broader argument about equitable access to innovation. For developing economies, the availability of technology, investment and vital industrial inputs can shape their ability to build manufacturing capacity, improve agricultural output and participate in the digital economy.
BRICS Initiatives for Startups and Farmers
Modi outlined several initiatives intended to deepen practical cooperation among BRICS members. He said the proposed BRICS Incubator Network would bring together startups and incubators across participating countries, while a proposed BRICS Startup Innovation Fund could support solutions designed to grow at scale.
Under the umbrella of innovation, the Brics Incubator Network will connect our startups and incubators.
The Prime Minister also pointed to the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture as a way to create opportunities for farmers. The initiative is intended to align artificial intelligence, geospatial tools and digital public infrastructure with the day-to-day needs of agricultural communities.
For farmers, technology can have practical value when it improves access to information, supports planning and connects agricultural activity with public and market services. Modi’s emphasis on matching digital systems with actual farming needs suggested that technology policy should focus on usable outcomes rather than innovation in isolation.
He said India had promoted friendship, partnership and cooperation through the BRICS platform. Modi also stressed that collaboration should not remain confined to official institutions and government-level discussions.
We have endeavoured to ensure that Brics cooperation is not limited to governments alone; we want our entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth, and ordinary citizens to become active participants as well.
Diversity and the Global South
Modi described BRICS as a forum whose influence is strengthened by the different experiences of its member countries. He said nations of the Global South have placed greater trust in the grouping because they believe their views receive attention and their experiences are treated with respect.
The strength of Brics lies in our diversity and cooperation.
That message placed cooperation at the centre of India’s approach to the group. BRICS brings together countries with different political systems, economic structures and regional priorities, making consensus-building an important part of its functioning. Modi argued that those differences need not prevent common progress when members work together on shared challenges.
The summit’s agenda connected this idea of cooperation with questions of economic resilience and sustainable development. Technology access, reliable mineral supplies, startup support and digital agriculture all relate to the capacity of countries to reduce vulnerabilities while pursuing growth.
Modi’s warning on critical minerals therefore went beyond a narrow trade issue. It reflected concern that control over indispensable resources can influence the future of industries, energy transitions and digital infrastructure. His call for inclusivity presented BRICS cooperation as a possible channel for expanding participation in these areas.
As countries seek secure access to minerals and advanced technologies, the challenge will be to balance national interests with the need for stable, dependable international supply chains. India’s BRICS chairship has placed that question within a wider vision of innovation that reaches businesses, farmers, researchers and citizens alike.
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