Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a pointed appeal on secure critical‑minerals supply chains and responsible artificial intelligence during the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 6–7 July 2025. He warned that allowing any nation to wield key resources as “weapons” could “selfishly” destabilise global progress, and urged member nations to unite in treasuring these minerals for innovation and prosperity. Modi, speaking in a session on multilateralism, finance and AI, said that lifeblood minerals like lithium, nickel and graphite are essential for electric vehicles, drones and digital infrastructure. He cautioned that dependence on dominant players—particularly in light of China’s export limits—poses a strategic vulnerability. His call was explicit: “no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others”. He then spotlighted the importance of establishing global standards for AI. While acknowledging AI’s power to enhance agriculture, healthcare, education and governance, Modi underscored its ethical risks, including bias and misuse. He emphasised the need for transparency, advocating for systems that authenticate digital content and identify its origin. To solidify this effort, India plans to host an “AI Impact Summit” next year to convene leaders on AI norms and governance. Modi framed both calls within BRICS’ broader mission to bolster multipolarity and amplify the voice of the Global South. He urged the New Development Bank to pursue demand-driven, financially sustainable projects, noting that this would strengthen reform credibility within institutions like the IMF and World Bank. He also proposed a BRICS “Science and Research Repository” and highlighted his “One Nation, One Subscription” policy for democratizing academic access, intended to benefit emerging economies. The timing of Modi’s remarks reflects growing global pushback against supply-chain vulnerabilities. With China controlling around 70% of rare-earth output and 85% of processing capacity, recent export curbs on gallium and germanium prompted the Quad initiative and capitulated fears of resource coercion. BRICS’ declaration following the summit, titled the “Rio de Janeiro Declaration,” included leaders’ agreement on global AI governance—their first such collective statement. It stressed collaborative efforts to manage AI’s risks, build trust, and ensure equitable technological access. However, friction persists within the group. Key figures, including President Xi Jinping and President Putin, attended only virtually, and several Middle Eastern invitees were absent, drawing attention to growing strategic divergences since expansion. Observers see Modi’s outspoken tone as India’s strategic positioning: affirming its alliance with Western democracies on supply-chain resilience, while driving an independent BRICS agenda as chair-in-waiting for 2026. He reiterated that under India’s chairmanship, BRICS will prioritise humanity, resilience, innovation and sustainability. Multiple nods to the Global South framed Modi’s address. He called for BRICS to support nations facing food, fuel, fertiliser and financial crises—as it did under its agricultural research platform—and offered the science repository as a shared good. In the packed sessions, Modi also advocated for unified BRICS stances on terrorism and global governance reform. He reiterated that combating terror must be principled, not selective—a reference to India’s condemnation of a Pahalgam attack in April—and echoed calls for recalibrating institutions like the UN Security Council. Modi closed by framing BRICS as a “guide for a multipolar world”, leveraging its demographic and economic heft to instil equitable reforms. He extended an invitation to partners for the forthcoming AI summit, positioning India as a convenor of norms and innovation.