New Delhi, Sep 14: India’s 2026 BRICS presidency has placed the development concerns of the Global South more prominently within discussions on global governance, with digital public infrastructure and access to development finance emerging as key areas of its contribution, according to a report published by the Directus news website.
The report said India’s experience in building large-scale digital systems and its emphasis on financing development projects offered practical examples for developing countries seeking broader economic participation and stronger access to resources.
Over the past decade, India has developed a digital ecosystem covering payments, banking and public services. Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the wider India Stack have emerged as examples of digital systems designed for mass adoption.
UPI, initially developed as an Indian payment infrastructure, has also become a reference point for discussions on interoperable and accessible digital payments. UPI-based payment services have been introduced in France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the UAE, according to the report.
The article argued that India’s experience demonstrates how digital public systems can support everyday economic activity rather than serving merely as markers of technological capability. It said this approach could offer developing countries a practical model for expanding participation in the formal economy.
Development finance represents another major component of the BRICS agenda highlighted in the report. For developing economies, it said, the challenge extends beyond attracting investment to the cost of accessing capital and the difficulty of financing projects that may not generate immediate commercial returns.
The New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS in 2015 and headquartered in Shanghai, was created to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects in member countries. Its founding members committed equal initial capital, giving the institution a structure distinct from the voting arrangements of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the report said.
India has been among the NDB’s principal beneficiaries. Its financing has supported projects including the Madhya Pradesh Major District Roads Project, aimed at improving road connectivity and transport infrastructure.
The report also highlighted India’s focus on micro, small and medium enterprises, investment cooperation and local-currency financing. It said easier access to finance for smaller businesses could help address credit constraints and currency volatility while supporting employment, entrepreneurship and local economic activity.
India’s BRICS presidency has additionally sought to bring health, agriculture, sustainability and innovation into the bloc’s agenda, areas the report linked to the resilience and development needs of societies across the Global South.
