BRICS Conference in Dehradun Focuses on Resilience, Sustainability

Over 200 delegates from 8 countries attended the BRICS Academic Mid-Term Conference in Dehradun, focusing on resilience, sustainability, green transformation, and India's upcoming 2026 presidency role for the Global South.

The BRICS Academic Mid-Term Conference on "Resilience and Sustainability" concluded in Dehradun on Friday, bringing together more than 200 delegates from 36 institutions across eight countries to discuss green industrial transformation, climate finance, biodiversity protection, and the future role of BRICS under India's 2026 presidency.

The conference was organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and Doon University. In the inaugural session, speakers emphasised that "BRICS is not merely an economic grouping but a platform representing the aspirations of the Global South, and that sustainability must be fair and just. With 11 member countries and 10 partner countries representing nearly half the world's population and 40 per cent of global GDP (PPP), India's Chairship theme--Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability--adopts a humanity-first approach aligned with Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam."

The Inaugural Session featured addresses by Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Governor of Uttarakhand; Anand Bardhan, Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand; Shambhu L. Hakki, BRICS Sous Sherpa & Joint Secretary (MER), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Surekha Dangwal, Vice Chancellor, Doon University; and Harsh V. Pant, Vice President, Observer Research Foundation; Executive Director, BRICS Think Tanks Council, India.

Report on Global Credit Risk Assessment Launched

A key highlight of the event was a spotlight address by Mehul Pandya, Managing Director and Group CEO, CareEdge Group, who marked the launch of "Breaking Convention: How CareEdge Global Ratings is Redefining Global Credit Risk Assessment", a report jointly published by ORF and the CareEdge Group. The report argued that sovereign credit assessment frameworks should better reflect the realities and development trajectories of emerging economies.

Green Industrial Transformation

"Green Industrial Transformation in a Fragmented Global Economy" underscored that green transitions must create jobs, support MSMEs and protect livelihoods. Speakers stressed that context-specific solutions and stronger intra-BRICS supply chains are essential to reduce dependence on external chokepoints and enhance resilience.

Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge

The session on "Protecting Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge Systems" called for moving beyond what speakers described as "Eurocentric models" and advocated greater recognition of local knowledge and traditional ecological practices. Delegates urged BRICS nations to deepen South-South cooperation through environmental diplomacy and stronger integration of Indigenous knowledge into conservation efforts.

Scaling Climate Finance for Green Transition

In discussions on "Scaling Climate Finance for the Green Transition", experts argued that the central issue is not a lack of global capital but its unequal distribution. Participants called for climate finance to be treated as an integral component of development strategy and highlighted the role of multilateral development banks in de-risking investments and improving access to funding for vulnerable communities.

India's 'Humanity-First' Approach to BRICS

The conference concluded with an open-house discussion titled "Creative Consensus: India's Role in Re-centring BRICS," featuring Shambhu Hakki and Harsh Pant. The discussion focused on India's "humanity-first, people-centric approach to global engagement," rooted in the ethos of "Vishwabandhu" or friend of the world. Hakki highlighted India's capacity-sharing model that seeks to move beyond traditional donor-recipient frameworks through initiatives such as Vaccine Maitri, Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme, Digital Public Infrastructure, International Solar Alliance, and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

According to the organisers, the conference's cross-sectoral discussions generated policy-relevant recommendations and analytical inputs that will contribute to deliberations ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit in September. (ANI)

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