Brics Summit 2026: PM Modi pitches emergency support network for safety of seafarers | India News
The safety of Indian seafarers has emerged as a recurring focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Brics engagements. On Saturday, he proposed a seafarers emergency support network among BRICS members to provide distress alerts, medical aid, family communication and evacuation support.The proposal came on the opening day of the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi, where the safety and wellbeing of seafarers emerged as a recurring theme in PM Modi’s remarks amid heightened tensions in West Asia and disruptions to key shipping routes.“Seafarers make a significant contribution to global trade, but they often find themselves without adequate support during difficult times. My proposal is: Can we create a Seafarers Emergency Support Network?”, PM Modi said during his opening remarks while addressing the summit.“Through this, the Maritime Authorities and Missions of the concerned countries can be connected. It can provide support for distress alerts, medical assistance, informing families and evacuation,” he added.Modi’s proposal follows his remarks at the Brics Business Forum on Friday, when he highlighted the importance of safe sea lanes and the protection of seafarers, particularly amid the conflict in West Asia.“Global trade can move forward only when sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open, and seafarers are safe. That is why India is a staunch advocate of freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers,” PM Modi said at the forum.The issue also featured in PM Modi’s meeting with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM underscored the need to ensure “freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers” during discussions on the conflict in West Asia.The concern has a direct bearing on India, which has a large seafaring workforce and has faced casualties amid the wider regional conflict. In July, the government had said in Parliament that 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have lost their lives in the region since the outbreak of the of the conflict, while 75 have been injured.The summit is taking place against the backdrop of continuing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, including the West Asia crisis, disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, the Russia-Ukraine war and US trade and tariff policies. India has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping shipping and commercial routes open.On Saturday, PM Modi also linked the maritime proposal to a wider call for Brics to translate its consensus into practical outcomes as the grouping marked two decades since its formation.“I am delighted to welcome you all to India. India’s chairship is based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach. Resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability have been our priority,” PM Modi said.He said India had organised more than 350 meetings across nearly 30 cities during its chairship and thanked member countries for their participation.“This year’s Brics summit marks a historic milestone. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Brics. In human life, the age of twenty heralds the beginning of a new phase of maturity and responsibility,” PM said.
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“This is the stage where responsibility aligns with aspirations, and potential finds a new direction. Today, Brics, too, is at a moment of coming of age,” he added.“Now is the time for us to translate the unity and consensus within Brics into tangible outcomes on the global stage.”The summit was attended by Chinese president Xi Jinping, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, among other leaders and representatives.
