India to Advance Multilateral Tech Projects at BRICS Summit Under Its Chairmanship
Quick Look
India aims to complete three major multilateral projects during its chairmanship of the 11-country BRICS bloc, focusing on shared access to high-performance computing via GRAIN, a science and research repository, and a Startup Innovation Fund and Incubator Network to connect chip design and deeptech startups across member states, with emphasis on AI, quantum technologies, and semiconductor materials.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
India is chairing the 11-country BRICS bloc, which includes the original five members plus six new partner nations. The country is pushing to advance joint technology initiatives during its term.
India is keen to complete three major multilateral projects under its chairmanship of the 11-country bloc. The global research advanced infrastructure network (GRAIN) initiative will offer researchers from member states federated, or shared, access to high-performance computing systems and supercomputers, an official said.
Listen to this article in summarized format
India will push for closer research ties and greater government-to-government partnership across artificial intelligence, advanced computing, quantum technologies and semiconductor materials at the upcoming BRICS summit, officials said. The focus on these frontier technologies comes at a time when nations seek to counter growing AI monopolies and de-risk global semiconductor supply chains.
India is keen to complete three major multilateral projects under its chairmanship of the 11-country bloc. The global research advanced infrastructure network (GRAIN) initiative will offer researchers from member states federated, or shared, access to high-performance computing systems and supercomputers, an official said.
“Work is ongoing to operationalise the science and research repository, a unified digital portal where member nations share datasets and capabilities specifically targeting advanced materials engineering and functional nanostructures,” the person added.
Connecting chip design and deeptech startups across members via the proposed Startup Innovation Fund and Incubator Network is another target area.
“In all these areas, we have aimed to mirror the success of our domestic policies,” another official said. “Other nations are keen to establish frameworks similar to AIkosh — our national, centralised platform for non-personal datasets — and AI models, or our onboarding of over 38,000 high-performance graphics processing units in our common AI compute facility under the IndiaAI Mission.”
The event — only the second summit featuring the 10 new partner nations, including Malaysia, Nigeria and Vietnam — will have a major focus on ramping up cooperation in digital payments systems
Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea.
Subscribe Now
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The GRAIN initiative will be operationalized before the end of India's BRICS chairmanship term.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What is the timeline for operationalizing the GRAIN initiative?
- Which specific countries will participate in the Startup Innovation Fund and Incubator Network?
- How will the science and research repository be governed and funded?
