India calls for mutual market access among BRICS nations

India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has made a fresh appeal for deeper economic integration within BRICS, calling on member nations to lower trade barriers and facilitate greater market access for each other's goods and commodities.

Speaking at a business forum ahead of the BRICS summit scheduled for Delhi in 2026, Goyal emphasized that opening markets would enable smoother cross-border trade in finished products as well as raw materials and minerals essential for industrial growth.

"We need to make our markets more accessible to one another," Goyal said, underscoring the importance of reciprocal trade arrangements among the five-member bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The minister also highlighted the critical need to strengthen supply chain resilience across BRICS nations, a priority that has gained prominence following recent global disruptions. Enhanced cooperation on supply chains would make the grouping less vulnerable to external shocks and reduce dependence on non-member economies, he suggested.

Goyal's remarks signal India's push for more cohesive economic policies within BRICS as it prepares to host the organization's annual summit, an opportunity to chart a closer integration agenda among member states.