China in sight, PM Modi urges BRICS to 'prevent weaponisation’ of critical minerals

PM Modi pitched for resilient supply chains, responsible AI, and credibility through institutional reform at BRICS Summit in Rio.

With China’s growing dominance dominance over global rare earth supplies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday issued a pointed call for BRICS nations to ensure that critical mineral supply chains remain secure, reliable, and free from geopolitical coercion.

Speaking at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Modi warned against the weaponisation of strategic resources, stating: “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others.”

"Securing and making critical mineral and technology supply chains resilient must be a shared goal,” PM Modi said. “It must also be ensured that no country uses these resources solely for its interests or as a weapon.” While he did not name any country, the message was widely seen as a veiled criticism of China, which has imposed export restrictions on rare earth elements and suspended fertiliser exports to India in recent months.

Reinforcing India’s position on global governance, PM Modi said Brics must reform its internal systems to credibly advocate for changes in international institutions. “To ensure that BRICS has credibility when it calls for reforming multilateral institutions, it should improve its systems,” he stated.

He highlighted the need for demand-driven, financially sound project financing by the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), taking a swipe at practices, often associated with China that fund unsustainable projects and create debt burdens on recipient countries. “The focus should be on long-term financial sustainability and maintaining a healthy credit rating,” he said.

Asserting that the Global South has high expectations from the Brics alliance, Modi said, “India is fully committed to working shoulder to shoulder with all partners to achieve our shared goals.” He cited India-hosted initiatives such as the Brics Agricultural Research Platform as successful models for knowledge sharing in agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate resilience.

Modi also proposed a new Brics Science and Research Repository that could benefit developing nations through collaborative innovation and technology transfer.