Majority of Brics standards agencies sign cooperation pact

The majority of the national standards bodies (NSBs) of Brics member countries on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in standardization at a high-level meeting hosted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in Bengaluru.

Of the 11 Brics members, six—India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and China—have signed the MoU. Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE will sign it later after securing the necessary government approvals. Saudi Arabia has not participated in any Brics meeting held under India's chairship this year, the ministry of external affairs said.

The MoU seeks to strengthen cooperation among Brics national standards bodies, reinforce quality infrastructure, enhance consumer protection, reduce technical barriers to trade and deepen coordination at international standard-setting organizations, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), according to the BIS.

The agreement was reached at the two-day meeting of the heads of Brics NSBs, being held under India's Brics chairship. The meeting will conclude on Friday.

Greater cooperation

Inaugurating the meeting, Union consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said that standards should be developed through an inclusive, transparent and consensus-based process that takes into account the diverse needs and developmental priorities of all countries.

Department of consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare said that closer cooperation among Brics countries would help develop standards that facilitate trade, technological advancement, and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future.

BIS director general Sanjay Garg said that greater cooperation, knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices among national standards bodies would strengthen domestic standardization systems while contributing to international standard-setting efforts.

In separate video messages, ISO secretary-general Sergio Mujica and IEC secretary-general Philippe Metzger stressed the importance of greater collaboration among national standards bodies, saying international cooperation is critical to developing standards that improve safety, facilitate innovation and enhance quality of life.

According to the BIS note, Brics represents about 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade, making greater cooperation on standards significant for trade and quality infrastructure across emerging economies.

On the final day of the meeting, delegates will participate in a thematic workshop on standardization in artificial intelligence (AI), featuring presentations by standards organisations from India, Russia, China, Brazil and the UAE, followed by discussions on emerging AI standardization priorities and future areas of cooperation.

Need of the hour

Experts are of the view that the agreement reflects the growing importance of standards in global trade and technology governance, with countries increasingly using technical regulations and standards to shape market access, innovation and supply chains.

“As global trade increasingly hinges on technical regulations and standards, closer cooperation among Brics countries has strategic significance. A coordinated approach to standardization can help reduce non-tariff barriers, improve interoperability and give emerging economies a stronger voice in shaping international standards for critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,” Amit Singh, associate professor, Special Centre for National Security Studies, JNU.

According to government data, around 23,700 Indian standards are currently in force, with nearly 94% harmonized with global ISO and IEC norms.

As of November 2025, domestic manufacturers had obtained 26,793 certifications for notified products and 24,330 voluntary certifications, indicating growing acceptance of BIS standards, particularly among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).