New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): The BRICS business forum is underway as part of the BRICS Summit 2026 being held in the national capital. Business and government leaders from various member countries are present here.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal are among the speakers.

In his opening remarks for the business summit, BRICS Business Council Chair Jai Shroff said that the four priorities - Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability - are not only important for the government but for business as well.

"India's BRICS chairmanship under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been built around four priorities: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. These are important priorities for the government, but equally relevant for business," Shroff said while addressing the gathering here.

He said that BRICS shouldn't be merely looked at as a group of large markets but as an economic network.

"We should not be looking at BRICS as a group of large markets but as an economic network where our strengths can reinforce one another. A resource in one BRICS economy can support manufacturing in another. A technology developed in one market can find scale in another. Capital can find projects and business can find new partners and customers across our economy," Shorff said.

The BRICS Business Forum is the grouping's principal platform for private-sector engagement, held each year in the country hosting the BRICS Summit, immediately ahead of the Leaders' meeting. It brings together prominent business representatives, government Ministers and Heads of State to exchange views on issues such as trade, investment, finance, technology and sustainable economic development that influence the BRICS agenda.

The forum contributes directly to shaping the grouping's economic priorities. It provides an avenue for presenting the perspectives and recommendations developed by the BRICS Business Council and for bringing these proposals into discussions with policymakers. The Forum's outcomes, along with the Council's recommendations, frequently inform BRICS Summit declarations and subsequent programmes of work, including initiatives aimed at expanding intra-BRICS trade, investment, digital economy, MSMEs, standards cooperation and value chain integration.

The main programme of the BRICS Summit will begin on September 12, with leaders expected to discuss initiatives of India's presidency and prospects for further strengthening the BRICS strategic partnership. 

India's BRICS chairship has focused on strengthening international cooperation across trade, digital technology, finance, energy security and global governance reform. 

The September summit is expected to address resilient global supply chains, cross-border payment integration, greater use of national currencies, MSME development, digital trade and artificial intelligence. 

Energy security, climate resilience, development finance, expansion of the New Development Bank and reforms of multilateral financial and political institutions are also expected to feature prominently. (ANI)