BRICS Scientific Collaboration: Strategic Shift Towards STI and Global South Leadership

The Hindu - News · 18 Mar 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · International relations Mains · GS2 International relations High relevance

BRICS nations are deepening science, technology, and innovation (STI) cooperation to reduce Western technological dependencies and establish a multipolar world order, with recent expansions and framework agreements enhancing their global STI influence.

Key points

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) has evolved from an economic bloc to a strategic platform challenging Western hegemony in science and technology, reflecting its growing geopolitical significance.

The 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on STI institutionalized scientific collaboration, focusing on joint research in energy, water, health, and environment, directly addressing GS3 (Economy) themes of technology and sustainable development.

New Development Bank plays a pivotal role in financing BRICS-led STI projects, aligning with India's focus on development finance and South-South cooperation in GS2 (International Relations).

The 2022 BRICS+ expansion (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Iran) aims to reduce Global South's technological dependencies, creating a counterbalance to Western-controlled tech ecosystems.

[GS3-Science and Technology] The BRICS Technology Transfer Centre (TTC) facilitates cross-border commercialization of innovations, though large-scale implementation remains a challenge due to divergent national policies.

The 2025 Declaration on AI elevated artificial intelligence as a central governance pillar, positioning BRICS as a rule-maker in emerging tech governance, relevant to GS4 (Ethics) debates on equitable AI frameworks.

COVID-19 pandemic accelerated collaboration in vaccine research and digital health, demonstrating BRICS' capacity to address global health crises through pooled resources, a key GS2 (Governance) lesson.

India's 2026 BRICS Presidency theme (Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability) prioritizes climate tech and digital inclusion, aligning with its G20 outcomes and domestic Aatmanirbhar Bharat agenda.

Way Forward: BRICS should establish a permanent STI secretariat, create a multilateral fund for joint mega-science projects, and develop common standards for critical technologies like AI and biotechnology to operationalize strategic collaboration.

Key terms

Techno-nationalism

The use of technological capabilities as instruments of national power, manifesting in export controls, sanctions, and domestic production mandates. BRICS' STI cooperation directly counters this trend by fostering South-South technology flows, crucial for UPSC's GS3 (Economy) and GS2 (IR) analyses.

BRICS Technology Transfer Centre

Established in 2020 to facilitate commercialization of joint research outputs across member states. Its UPSC relevance lies in demonstrating India's strategy to leverage multilateral platforms for domestic tech capacity building, particularly in critical sectors like semiconductors and clean energy.

BRICS

An intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (expanded in 2023), representing 41% of global population and 24% of GDP. Its significance lies in creating alternative governance structures (New Development Bank, Contingent Reserve Arrangement) to challenge Western-dominated financial and technological systems.

New Development Bank

A multilateral development bank established by BRICS in 2014 with $50 billion capital, focusing on infrastructure and sustainable development projects in member states. It represents a strategic shift in development finance away from Bretton Woods institutions, offering non-conditioned loans and local currency financing.