India Hosts 11th BRICS Energy Ministers’ Meet
BRICS adopts joint communiqué as India launches Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage
GG News Bureau
Gurugram, 26th June: India on Thursday hosted the 11th BRICS Energy Ministers’ Meeting in Gurugram under its BRICS Chairship 2026, with member nations adopting a Joint Communiqué reaffirming cooperation on energy security, sustainability, innovation and resilient energy systems.
Held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, the meeting brought together Energy Ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries, along with representatives from the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) and the New Development Bank (NDB).
The meeting was guided by the Energy Track theme “Sarvesham Urjam (Energy for All)”, with deliberations focusing on three priorities—energy security and sustainability, universal energy access and equity, and technology-driven innovation.
A key outcome of India’s Chairship was the launch of the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage, a collaborative platform for knowledge sharing, policy exchange, capacity building and pilot projects among BRICS nations.
The Ministers also adopted the BRICS Guiding Principles on Smart Grids and Energy Storage and welcomed progress on the BRICS Joint Report on Hydrogen Value Chains 2026, aimed at strengthening cooperation in hydrogen technologies and industrial applications.
Addressing the meeting, Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal said energy remains central to economic development and highlighted India’s transformation into the world’s third-largest producer and consumer of electricity, with more than half of its installed power capacity now coming from non-fossil fuel sources.
He said India’s solar capacity has expanded from about 3 GW in 2014 to over 154 GW, while initiatives such as PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance are accelerating the country’s clean energy transition.
The Minister also outlined India’s targets of achieving over 400 GWh of energy storage capacity by 2032 and 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, while noting that the country has already achieved 20 per cent ethanol blending ahead of schedule.
The Joint Communiqué reaffirmed that secure, affordable and sustainable energy is essential for economic growth and human development, while calling for stronger cooperation in renewable energy, biofuels, hydrogen, carbon capture technologies, digitalisation, energy efficiency and critical minerals.
The BRICS nations also endorsed updated Terms of Reference for the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform (ERCP) and supported continued collaboration through research, youth engagement and knowledge exchange. The ministers appreciated India’s leadership during its 2026 Chairship and looked forward to continuing cooperation under China’s BRICS Presidency in 2027.
