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India reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready digital development during the 11th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting held in Brasília, Brazil. Minister of

State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar delivered the country’s statement, aligning India’s priorities with the overarching theme set by Brazil’s BRICS presidency: Universal and

Meaningful Connectivity, Space Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability, and the Digital Ecosystem. Advertisement Dr Sekhar presented India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a

global benchmark for inclusive and transformative digital governance. He highlighted the pivotal role of flagship initiatives like Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in

advancing universal and meaningful connectivity. He noted that Aadhaar has empowered over 950 million citizens with a secure digital identity, enabling seamless access to essential public

and private services.    UPI, he emphasised, has revolutionised real-time digital payments and now accounts for 46 per cent of global digital transactions. Advertisement The minister

credited this remarkable digital progress to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whose guidance India has built a scalable, inclusive, and resilient digital ecosystem that

is inspiring countries around the world. He called upon BRICS nations to deepen collaboration in harnessing digital public infrastructure to drive inclusive growth and build resilient

digital economies. He underscored that India’s DPI model—built on open, interoperable platforms—serves as a catalyst for financial inclusion, good governance, and digital innovation, while

also guarding against monopolistic practices. Dwelling on India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, robust digital skills initiatives, and progressive legislation such as the Telecommunications Act

and the Data Protection Act, Dr Sekhar emphasised the importance of trust and user safety in the digital age. He also spoke about India’s Sanchar Saathi initiative—a key effort to combat

telecom fraud—and called for enhanced BRICS cooperation in cybersecurity, data protection, and digital trust to ensure the safety and integrity of interconnected digital societies. Dr Sekhar

highlighted India’s digital journey, celebrating the transition from digital divide to digital leadership. India’s ambitious Digital Bharat Nidhi programme was showcased as a cornerstone

initiative, funding landmark projects such as BharatNet, which now connects over 218,000 village councils with optical fiber infrastructure.  Advertisement