BRICS Summit 2026: Secure Sea Lanes Key To Global Trade, PM Modi Backs Seafarers Safety

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said freedom of navigation, secure sea lanes and the safety of seafarers were essential for the expansion of global trade.

Addressing the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, Modi stressed that international commerce could advance only when shipping routes remained secure, supply chains stayed open and crews at sea were protected.

He said India remained a steadfast supporter of freedom of navigation and seafarers’ safety, placing maritime security at the heart of global trade and uninterrupted movement of goods.

India builds economic bridges

Modi said India had emerged as a source of confidence for growth and stability amid mounting global uncertainty. While trade barriers were rising worldwide, the country was seeking to build economic bridges and deepen international partnerships, he added.

Highlighting India’s innovation ecosystem, the Prime Minister said the country had more than 2 lakh registered startups and 120 unicorns, strengthening its position as a global solutions hub.

Targets for BRICS council

Modi urged the BRICS Business Council to prepare a report identifying ways to remove 10 trade barriers. He also proposed supporting 100 BRICS startups every year to help them scale their operations.

The council should work towards developing 1,000 new partnerships across the grouping, he said, calling for progress against these targets to be reviewed annually.

Iran seeks deeper integration

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the world was passing through an exceptionally complex phase of geopolitical uncertainty. He called for wider use of national currencies in transactions among BRICS members to strengthen trade within the bloc.

Pezeshkian said members must move beyond fragmented cooperation towards gradual integration of trade infrastructure. He identified digitalised and connected procedures, easier trade processes, fewer regulatory and administrative barriers, stronger cross-border markets and smoother joint private-sector investment as important steps.

The proposals underscored a broader push to protect maritime arteries while lowering commercial barriers and building a more connected BRICS trading network.