BRICS Transport Working Group Meeting Opens in Nagpur
The 3rd BRICS Transport Working Group (TWG) Meeting commenced in Nagpur on Thursday, setting the stage for the BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting scheduled for July 11-12. The meeting, held under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, focuses on sustainable infrastructure, clean mobility, resilient logistics, and multimodal connectivity. Senior officials from BRICS member countries gathered to deliberate on policy priorities and prepare outcomes for the ministerial summit.
India's Six Flagship Initiatives for Transport Cooperation
Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, V. Umashankar, outlined six flagship initiatives covering sustainability in transport infrastructure, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), transport decarbonisation, urban mobility, resilient logistics, and railway research cooperation. These initiatives aim to promote knowledge sharing, technical collaboration, institutional partnerships, and capacity building among BRICS nations. Umashankar emphasized that they build on previous TWG engagements and lay the foundation for long-term transport sector cooperation.
Consultative Process and Consensus Building
The Nagpur meeting marks the culmination of an extensive consultative process involving five virtual preparatory meetings. Member countries held detailed discussions on thematic priorities. Umashankar appreciated the constructive participation of all delegations and expressed confidence that the cooperative spirit would help build broad consensus on key outcomes. He reaffirmed India's commitment to transparent, inclusive, and consensus-driven discussions, ensuring outcomes reflect collective priorities.
Significance of Expanded BRICS Grouping
Umashankar noted that BRICS member countries account for nearly 49.5% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP, and 26% of global trade. He highlighted that enhanced transport cooperation can significantly improve connectivity, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and support sustainable economic growth across member nations. India's BRICS Chairship theme, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,' reflects a people-centric vision aimed at fostering practical partnerships for efficient, sustainable, and resilient transport ecosystems.
