Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for secure sea lanes, open supply routes and seafarer safety at the BRICS Business Forum on September 11, 2026. His address connected the physical movement of trade with wider efforts to improve business access across the grouping.
He asked the Business Council to consider a report identifying ten major trade barriers. That request placed the emphasis on specific obstacles businesses encounter, rather than treating the size of participating economies as sufficient evidence of easy market access.
Modi also proposed supporting 100 startups a year to expand into other BRICS markets and developing 1,000 business partnerships, with annual progress reviews. These benchmarks concerned cross-border commercial relationships, not simply counting new firms at home.
Together, the shipping and business proposals addressed two different constraints: whether goods can move safely and whether enterprises can reach customers and partners. The speech's practical agenda therefore extended from transport security to the connections needed for firms to operate across markets.
