Department of Telecommunications Holds Second BRICS ICT Working Group Meeting under India BRICS Presidency 2026

📌 Summary:

• The Department of Telecommunications organised and chaired the Second Meeting of the BRICS Working Group for Cooperation in ICTs, held virtually on 21 May 2026 under India BRICS Presidency 2026
• Theme of India BRICS Presidency: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"; ICT Track theme: "Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future"
• India presented a Concept Note on BRICS Capacity Building Centres for skilling, knowledge exchange, technical training and research cooperation in emerging digital and telecom technologies
• Discussions covered resilient digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, future networks, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Child Online Protection and bridging the digital divide
• Deliberations included activities under the BRICS Institute for Future Networks (BIFN), the Digital BRICS Task Force (DBTF) and the Focus Group on DPI
• India emphasised that ICT cooperation is critical for inclusive development, public service delivery and innovation across the Global South

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 International Relations — India BRICS Presidency, multilateral digital cooperation, and India leadership of the Global South.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• India holds the BRICS Presidency/Chairship in 2026
• BIFN = BRICS Institute for Future Networks; DBTF = Digital BRICS Task Force
• This was the second meeting of the BRICS ICT Working Group, held in virtual mode

🔑 Key Term: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — shared, interoperable digital systems (such as identity, payments and data exchange) that enable inclusive delivery of public and private services at scale.