BRICS Digital Economy 2026: An AI-Era Growth Frontier

Global South EXPOHUB AI Analytics · 2026-09-08

The world is entering a new stage of the digital revolution, driven by the rapid spread of artificial intelligence. This shift is reshaping economic and social relations faster than most previous technologies, raising a real dilemma: how to capture AI's development potential without losing control over the process it sets in motion. BRICS+ is no exception. The bloc is working through how new technologies can strengthen not just individual economies, but the synergy between them. Context: A Shared Infrastructure Base, Built Separately Every major BRICS+ economy has already built substantial digital infrastructure on its own. India runs UPI, China has Alipay and WeChat Pay, and Russia operates its Faster Payments System — instant payment rails are now standard across the bloc rather than a differentiator. Payments are only one layer; the deeper build-out spans data-center capacity, cloud storage, cybersecurity and the providers holding it together, and this is where new challenges concentrate. BRICS+ countries collectively hold 40% of the world's internet users and generate about 30% of global ICT-related goods exports, alongside roughly 11% of the world's digitally deliverable services exports (ORF, 2025). Key Numbers - BRICS+ accounts for 40% of global internet users, 30% of ICT goods exports and 11% of digitally deliverable services exports (ORF, 2025) - China is reportedly weighing an investment of roughly USD 295 billion over five years in a nationwide AI data-center network — still at the planning stage — alongside a separate, previously announced three-year AI and cloud commitment from Alibaba of at least USD 52 billion, which the company was reported in March 2026 to be considering raising toward USD 69 billion - The average global data breach takes 241 days to identify and contain — 181 days to identify plus 60 days to contain (IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, 2025) - A 2024 Zoho-commissioned survey found that among MSMEs planning IT budgets, 77% had allocated up to 50% to cloud solutions, and 23% had allocated more than half - The BRICS Business Council's AI Alliance Network lists 60 AI training programmes from 14 countries on its website; the Council's Digital Economy and Artificial Intelligence Working Group counts 137 members (BRICS Business Council Annual Report 2025) Deep Dive: Development Versus Governability AI adoption is creating a new format of socio-economic relations — new categories of jobs, new competitive dynamics between firms and states, and new questions about who controls the infrastructure underneath it all. Within BRICS+, each member has answered the infrastructure question on its own terms: separate payment rails, separate cloud and data-storage buildouts, and separate approaches to cybersecurity and data governance, including sharply diverging rules on data localization. That pattern built national capacity quickly, but it now raises the practical question of how much these parallel systems can, or should, interoperate. This sits squarely within the focus of the BRICS Business Council. Its work spans several fronts: Russia's AI Alliance Network coordinates AI training across 14 countries and is developing "AI Horizons," a joint research initiative; a proposed BRICS Ethical Framework for AI would extend Russia's own AI Ethics Code, signed by more than 900 organizations, into a bloc-wide standard; Brazil has proposed a BRICS Digital Lab to connect innovators and researchers; South Africa is building a Cybersecurity Talent Accelerator; and the UAE and South Africa are jointly developing a proposal for a cross-border digital trading and logistics platform. These remain early-stage initiatives — several are still at the proposal or discussion phase — but they mark a deliberate attempt to convert separately built national strength into shared frameworks. What This Means for Business For infrastructure and cybersecurity providers: rising data volumes and diverging national rules point to sustained demand for compliance, storage and security services tailored to individual BRICS+ markets. For AI firms: the AI Alliance Network and the proposed ethical AI standard signal where BRICS+ institutions want common ground to form first. For policymakers: reconciling data-governance approaches, rather than further national buildout, is the more direct route to collective economic synergy. Frequently Asked Questions How large is BRICS+ digital footprint globally? BRICS+ countries hold 40% of the world's internet users, generate about 30% of global ICT goods exports, and account for roughly 11% of digitally deliverable services exports (ORF, 2025). Do BRICS+ countries already have strong digital payment systems? Yes. India runs UPI, China has Alipay and WeChat Pay, and Russia operates its Faster Payments System — each built independently, illustrating a parallel rather than shared approach to digital infrastructure. How much is being invested in AI infrastructure across BRICS+? China is reportedly weighing about USD 295 billion in state investment over five years for a nationwide AI data-center network, though the plan is still at an early, unconfirmed stage. Separately, Alibaba's own three-year AI and cloud commitment — originally at least USD 52 billion — was reported in March 2026 to be under consideration for an increase toward USD 69 billion. What is the BRICS Business Council doing on digital cooperation? It has launched an AI Alliance Network offering 60 training programmes across 14 countries, proposed a shared Ethical Framework for AI built on Russia's AI Ethics Code (signed by 900+ organizations), and is developing a Digital Lab, a cybersecurity accelerator, and a cross-border digital trading and logistics platform — most of which remain early-stage proposals. Related Content For the broader picture of India's chairship, see our pillar brief on BRICS 2026 India: Economic Power & the 18th Summit. For the data-governance landscape in services trade, see BRICS Services Trade 2026: Untapped Growth Potential. Event details and the full agenda are on our BRICS Business Forum India 2026 page.

Context event: BRICS Business Forum

Information and Communication Technology · India · BRICS · SCO