ScienceModi warns against 'weaponising' technology and critical minerals as Xi pushes open-source AI cooperation
The exchange captures a central BRICS tension: members want deeper technology cooperation even as strategic control over chips, minerals and AI becomes more important.
THE INDIQA Research DeskPublished 14 Sept 2026Updated 14 Sept 20261 min read
Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned at BRICS against the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals, while Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a BRICS open-source AI ecosystem.
The two positions are not contradictory, but they reveal the strategic context. Access to chips, rare earths, cloud infrastructure and advanced models is increasingly shaped by export controls and geopolitical competition.
India's challenge is to support wider access and collaboration without replacing one form of dependence with another. That means building domestic compute, mineral processing and research capability alongside international partnerships.
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