India is hosting the 5th Meeting of Heads of BRICS National Standardization Bodies (NSBs) in Bengaluru under its BRICS Chairship 2026 on July 16 and 17. The two-day meeting brings together the heads of National Standardization Bodies from all 11 BRICS member countries to strengthen cooperation and coordination in standardisation.
“The aim of this meeting is to strengthen cooperation in standardisation,” Joshi said while inaugurating the event.
Highlighting India’s progress in developing its standards framework, Joshi said the country has significantly expanded its standardisation ecosystem over the past 12 years. He stated that India currently has around 23,300 standards, with more being added regularly, and is expected to reach nearly 25,000 standards soon.
“This is the highest ever and reflects the rapid progress made over the past 12 years,” Joshi said.
The minister also highlighted India’s alignment with international benchmarks, stating that nearly 98 per cent of the country’s standards are now aligned with global standards.
“There is also strong cooperation in standardisation among BRICS members. Nearly 98 per cent of our standards are now aligned with global standards. This means that the standards we prescribe are accepted in almost all major countries. That is what I mean by synchronisation,” he said.
Joshi noted that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been leading India’s standardisation activities for nearly eight decades and was formally recognised as the country’s National Standards Body through an Act of Parliament in 2016.
Emphasising the importance of BRICS, Joshi said the grouping currently represents 49.5 per cent of the world’s population, around 40 per cent of global GDP, and nearly 26 per cent of global trade, making it “a very strong grouping of like-minded countries.”
Referring to India’s BRICS Chairship, Joshi said this year’s theme follows a people-centric and humanity-first approach, as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. The theme of the Bengaluru meeting is “Building for Resilience: Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
He added that BRICS cooperation has expanded beyond economic matters and now covers areas including counter-terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, finance, trade, World Trade Organization reforms, agriculture, labour and digital technology.
Highlighting the major outcome of the Bengaluru meeting, Joshi said the finalisation and signing of the BRICS MoU on cooperation in standardisation was one of the most important achievements.
“One of the most significant outcomes of this meeting is the finalisation and signing of the BRICS MoU on cooperation in the field of standardisation. This MoU has been pending for several years. Its finalisation will be mutually beneficial—a win-win for all,” he said.
Joshi congratulated BIS Director General Sanjay Garg, Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare and officials involved in the negotiations for completing the process.
“I congratulate Secretary Nidhi Khare, Shri Sanjay Garg and the BIS team for their continuous efforts. Because of their persistence, we have now finalised the MoU with all BRICS countries, and it will be signed today. This is a major achievement of the summit being held in Bengaluru,” he said.
The MoU will establish a formal framework for cooperation among the National Standardization Bodies of BRICS countries. It will promote information sharing, exchange of best practices, technical collaboration and capacity building among member nations.
The inaugural session included a welcome address by BIS Director General Sanjay Garg and a keynote address by Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare. During the two-day meeting, BIS will also showcase India’s initiatives and achievements in the field of standardisation.
After the inaugural session, Joshi posted on X, stating, “Guided by the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,’ we reaffirm our shared commitment to developing inclusive, transparent and globally relevant standards that facilitate trade, foster innovation, strengthen consumer confidence and support sustainable development.”
He further stated that as emerging technologies continue to transform the global economy, deeper cooperation in standardisation among BRICS nations will play a vital role in shaping a resilient, future-ready and inclusive global standards ecosystem.
“I am confident that the deliberations over the next two days will further strengthen our partnership and pave the way for meaningful outcomes that benefit our economies and our people,” Joshi added.
The BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The signing of the standardisation cooperation MoU marks a major step towards strengthening technical collaboration, improving global compatibility of standards and creating a more coordinated framework among BRICS nations.
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