BRICS standardisation pact will be win-win for all: Pralhad Joshi

Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said the long-pending BRICS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in standardisation would be "mutually beneficial" and "a win-win for all" as India hosted the 5th Meeting of Heads of BRICS National Standardization Bodies (NSBs) under its BRICS Chairship 2026.India is hosting the two-day meeting on July 16-17, bringing together the heads of National Standardization Bodies from the 11 BRICS member countries to strengthen cooperation in the field of standardisation.
Inaugurating the meeting, Joshi said the event aims to deepen collaboration among BRICS nations in developing harmonised standards that facilitate trade, innovation and sustainable development.Highlighting India's progress in standardisation, the minister said the country has significantly expanded its standards framework over the past 12 years."Today, we have around 23,300 standards, and more are being added. Very soon, we will reach nearly 25,000 standards. This is the highest ever and reflects the rapid progress made over the past 12 years," he said.Joshi added that nearly 98 per cent of India's standards are now aligned with international benchmarks, enabling wider global acceptance and greater synchronisation with international practices.He said the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which has led India's standardisation efforts for nearly eight decades, was formally designated as the country's National Standards Body through an Act of Parliament in 2016.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution of India, Pralhad Joshi says, "... The aim of this meeting is to strengthen cooperation in standardisation. In the last 12 years, India has significantly increased its standards.… https://t.co/8rD0V5rTMq pic.twitter.com/Uu5d9THqmj

— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2026

Describing BRICS as a major global grouping, the minister said the bloc represents nearly 49.5 per cent of the world's population, around 40 per cent of global GDP and about 26 per cent of global trade.Referring to India's BRICS Chairship, Joshi said this year's agenda follows the people-centric and humanity-first vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. The theme of the meeting is "Building for Resilience: Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."He noted that BRICS cooperation has expanded beyond economic issues to include counter-terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, finance, trade, WTO reforms, agriculture, labour and digital technology.
Calling the finalisation of the BRICS MoU a landmark outcome of the Bengaluru meeting, Joshi said the agreement had remained pending for several years."Its finalisation will be mutually beneficial—a win-win for all," he said, adding that the MoU will establish a formal framework for cooperation among the National Standardization Bodies of BRICS countries, promote information sharing, technical collaboration, exchange of best practices and capacity building.
The minister congratulated Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, BIS Director General Sanjay Garg and the BIS team for successfully concluding negotiations with all BRICS member countries.
According to media reports,the inaugural session featured a welcome address by BIS Director General Sanjay Garg and a keynote address by Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare. During the two-day meeting, BIS is also showcasing India's initiatives and achievements in the field of standardisation.In a post on X after the inaugural session, Joshi said the meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of BRICS nations to developing inclusive, transparent and globally relevant standards that facilitate trade, foster innovation, strengthen consumer confidence and support sustainable development.He added that as emerging technologies reshape the global economy, stronger cooperation in standardisation among BRICS nations would help build a resilient, future-ready and inclusive global standards ecosystem.

Bengaluru, Karnataka: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, "Cooperation in standardization under BRICS began in 2022. Previous National Standards Bodies (NSB) meetings were held in China in 2022, South Africa in 2023, Russia in 2024, and Brazil in 2025. This is the fifth meeting of… pic.twitter.com/a9nXZRwexn

— IANS (@ians_india) July 16, 2026

BRICS currently comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

(State Correspondent)