BRICS Business Council 2026: Eight Priorities for Growth

Global South EXPOHUB AI Analytics · 2026-09-17

The BRICS Business Council's 2026 Annual Report, delivered to Leaders under India's chairship, organizes its recommendations around a striking claim: BRICS is the only grouping in the world capable of supplying its own food, fuel and fertiliser. The stated challenge is no longer production capacity, but matching supply with demand through better logistics, harmonised standards and trade facilitation. Context: A Comprehensive Business Agenda The Council represents 10 BRICS+ national chapters, with chairship rotating annually — India holds it in 2026. Its recommendations are developed through nine sector-specific working groups: Agribusiness, Aviation, Digital Economy and AI, Energy and Green Economy, Financial Services, Infrastructure and Logistics, Manufacturing, Skills Development, and Trade and Investment. This year's agenda organizes around four pillars — Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability — distilled into eight strategic priorities submitted to Heads of State. BRICS+ sits within the broader Global South — some 125 countries representing 85% of world population and nearly 39% of global GDP (Peterson Institute). The Council's institutional weight in that context anchors private-sector representation for a substantial share of emerging economies. Key Numbers - The Council represents 10 BRICS+ national chapters across 9 working groups - Its 2026 recommendations converge on 4 pillars and 8 strategic priorities for Heads of State - The global MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) industry, a $1+ trillion market growing at 9-11% annually per multiple industry sources (Fortune Business Insights, Allied Market Research, Verified Market Research), remains heavily concentrated in Europe (~48-51%) and North America (~30%) — with Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East combined accounting for under 20% of global market share Deep Dive: A Broad Agenda, With Room to Grow Covering nine sectors in a single annual report is itself a significant undertaking, and the Council's recommendations go deep on the mechanics of trade: a proposed Supply Chain Resilience Framework, coordinated positions at the WTO, mutual recognition of customs programs, and a specific push to digitize trade documents, customs paperwork and single-window systems. Aviation's working group also recommends developing a shared market intelligence platform to support new route decisions, reflecting how valuable accessible, structured market data can be across sectors. Naturally, not every dimension of BRICS+ economic cooperation can be covered in one report each year. One area with room for further attention is the visibility layer that sits ahead of trade and investment decisions: how entrepreneurs across BRICS and the wider Global South discover events, delegations and exhibitions in neighboring markets. With Europe and North America together accounting for around 80% of the global MICE market versus under 20% for Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East combined, this represents a genuine information gap — distinct from tariffs, standards or logistics — and a natural next step for the Council's growing digital-infrastructure agenda. What This Means for Business For MICE organizers and event platforms: the gap between the Global South's economic weight and its share of the global MICE market points to significant unmet demand for reliable, checked information on opportunities. For exporters and investors: independent market intelligence on regional events and trade shows adds real value alongside the Council's own trade and standards work. For policymakers: extending the Council's digital trade infrastructure agenda to cover event and opportunity discovery, alongside documentation, is a natural complement to the current framework. Frequently Asked Questions What is the BRICS Business Council? It is the bloc's main private-sector advisory body, representing 10 BRICS+ national chapters through nine sector working groups, with India chairing in 2026. What is the Council's central claim for 2026? That BRICS is the only grouping able to supply its own food, fuel and fertiliser, making logistics, standards and demand-matching the priority alongside production capacity. What are the Council's eight strategic priorities for 2026? They span resilient value chains, digital transformation, innovation and R&D, sustainable industry and clean energy, food security, trade and investment cooperation, skills development, and institutional partnerships. How large is the Global South's economic weight? Global South countries, numbering around 125, represent about 85% of world population and nearly 39% of global GDP, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Related Content on globalsouthexpo.com/briefs For the broader picture of India's chairship, see our pillar brief on BRICS 2026 India: Economic Power & the 18th Summit. For the trade-barrier agenda, see Intra-BRICS Trade: Barriers & Integration Challenges. For the Council's own digital-economy initiatives, see BRICS Digital Economy 2026: An AI-Era Growth Frontier. Selectors: Country: India Industry: Trade & Investment Event: BRICS Business Forum India 2026 Alliance: BRICS

Context event: SEMICON India 2026

Electronics · India · BRICS · SCO