The 2026 BRICS Summit has created a series of commercial signals across trade, finance, technology, energy, agriculture, infrastructure and skills. Entrepreneurs who translate these political ambitions into practical products and services can capture significant value.
The 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026, produced a declaration focused on strengthening cooperation between eleven major emerging economies representing approximately half the world’s population. The scale of these economies, combined with their continuing infrastructure and development needs, creates a substantial opportunity for businesses able to operate across borders.
BRICS functions as a cooperative grouping of diverse national markets. Each member retains its own currency, legal system, regulatory environment and commercial priorities. This complexity creates demand for trusted intermediaries, specialist advisers, technology providers and local delivery partners.
The central entrepreneurial opportunity lies in helping organisations trade, invest and collaborate across these markets more effectively.
What changed at the New Delhi summit?
The New Delhi Declaration placed considerable emphasis on increasing trade, expanding the use of national currencies, improving cross-border payments, digitising trade documentation and developing more resilient global value chains.
The summit prioritised practical payment interoperability and greater use of national currencies for trade and investment. A single BRICS currency remains outside the current programme. The immediate commercial challenge concerns the development of faster, safer and more affordable transactions between national financial systems.
Financial Express also reports support for digital trade finance, invoice discounting for smaller exporters and greater cooperation between Special Economic Zones. These developments could reduce working-capital pressures and improve the ability of smaller companies to participate in international trade.
China announced plans for a BRICS AI Open Source Zone, a Special Economic Zone partnership and a BRICS Service Trade Forum in 2027. These initiatives aim to increase cooperation in artificial intelligence, professional services, investment and resilient supply chains. Reuters described the proposals as part of a broader effort to develop BRICS into a more practical economic platform.
The declaration also supports cooperation in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, smart grids, energy storage, advanced manufacturing, robotics, quantum technologies and resilient communications.
Agriculture received particular attention through new networks covering digital agriculture, regenerative agriculture, agroecology, fisheries and aquaculture. The proposed BRICS Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources and Information Network will encourage cooperation around productivity, food security and climate resilience. The Indian Express provides further details of these initiatives.
These commitments indicate where governments, development banks, research institutions and major companies are likely to direct future investment. Entrepreneurs can use these signals to identify emerging customer needs before markets become crowded.
1. Cross-border market-entry services
Thousands of businesses will want to explore opportunities in India, the UAE, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and other BRICS markets. Many will require support with local regulations, commercial relationships, procurement processes and routes to market.
Entrepreneurs can provide:
- market validation and competitor intelligence;
- distributor and partner identification;
- regulatory and certification support;
- product and service localisation;
- procurement and tender monitoring;
- commercial introductions;
- export-readiness assessments.
A viable business model could combine a paid initial assessment, a market-entry project fee and an ongoing local representation retainer. A lawful and transparent success fee could supplement this income where the adviser contributes directly to securing a contract.
Specialisation strengthens the proposition. A company offering general assistance across every BRICS economy may struggle to demonstrate sufficient depth. A business helping British cybersecurity companies enter India and the UAE presents a clearer and more credible offer.
2. Payment, trade-finance and compliance technology
Greater use of local currencies will increase demand for systems capable of managing multi-currency transactions, payment reconciliation, invoicing, tax reporting, currency exposure and regulatory screening.
Commercial opportunities include:
- multi-currency invoicing and treasury dashboards;
- automated sanctions and counterparty screening;
- digital identity and business-verification systems;
- invoice-finance platforms;
- cross-border fraud monitoring;
- payment-risk and currency-exposure tools;
- integration between payment and accounting systems.
Entrepreneurs can create immediate value by supplying the cybersecurity, compliance and integration services that enable businesses to use emerging payment channels safely.
The customer journey could begin with a transaction-readiness assessment, progress into systems implementation and develop into a recurring monitoring or compliance service. This structure creates initial project revenue and predictable monthly income.
3. Cybersecurity and digital resilience
Growth in digital trade will increase the volume and significance of digital risk.
The declaration calls for secure digital infrastructure, stronger cross-border fraud prevention, greater supply-chain security and closer cooperation between national computer emergency response teams. This agenda creates demand for cyber-readiness reviews, supply-chain assurance, secure payment architecture, incident exercises, data-governance frameworks and post-quantum cryptography preparation.
A strong commercial model would begin with a fixed-price readiness assessment, move into a remediation project and convert the customer to a recurring assurance service. This approach allows the provider to build a longer relationship while helping the customer demonstrate continuing compliance and resilience.
Critical infrastructure, banking, telecommunications, logistics and energy offer particularly promising markets because disruption in these sectors creates substantial financial and operational consequences.
4. Agritech, food security and traceability
The BRICS focus on digital agriculture and climate resilience creates opportunities for farm-management platforms, remote sensing, water monitoring, supply-chain traceability and decision-support systems.
Entrepreneurs should focus on recurring problems that appear across several agricultural markets:
- reducing water, energy and fertiliser consumption;
- monitoring livestock health and welfare;
- improving aquaculture productivity;
- identifying equipment and supply-chain vulnerabilities;
- verifying sustainable production;
- reducing food loss and waste;
- forecasting disruption from extreme weather;
- demonstrating compliance with export standards.
Customers invest in measurable improvements. A system that reduces input costs, protects production or improves access to export markets provides a stronger proposition than a general promise to introduce artificial intelligence.
The best route to market may involve a university, agricultural college, food producer or industry association as the initial pilot partner. A successful pilot can generate evidence, credibility and a platform for expansion.
5. Infrastructure, climate and resilience services
The New Development Bank is being encouraged to expand local-currency financing and mobilise investment into clean energy, transport, water, sanitation, social infrastructure and digital connectivity. It is also exploring mechanisms designed to improve project creditworthiness and attract private investment. Financial Express outlines these priorities.
Major infrastructure programmes create extensive supplier ecosystems. Smaller businesses can participate through feasibility studies, risk modelling, digital twins, environmental monitoring, cyber resilience, workforce development, project assurance and impact evaluation.
The most accessible commercial opportunity frequently sits within the specialist services surrounding a large investment. A £500 million infrastructure project may generate numerous smaller contracts covering design, data, assurance, training and operational support.
Entrepreneurs should identify the organisations responsible for delivering these projects, including engineering companies, local authorities, development agencies and major contractors. These organisations provide a more realistic entry point than approaching national governments directly.
6. Skills, qualifications and professional development
Successful investment in AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing depends on an appropriately skilled workforce.
BRICS cooperation includes digital skills, industrial capabilities, research collaboration, standards development and youth entrepreneurship. Universities, awarding organisations and training providers can respond with programmes covering:
- cyber and operational resilience;
- AI governance and responsible adoption;
- international trade compliance;
- digital agriculture;
- sustainable infrastructure;
- advanced manufacturing;
- innovation and entrepreneurship leadership.
Effective programmes will reflect local industries, regulatory frameworks, languages and employer requirements. Partnerships with local universities, professional bodies and training providers can provide the credibility and contextual knowledge required for adoption.
Recurring revenue can come from licensing, learner registration, certification, continuing professional development and organisational capability programmes.
How do you turn these opportunities into revenue?
Commercial progress begins with one trade corridor, one customer group and one expensive problem.
A UK business might focus on UK–India digital trade, UAE–Africa infrastructure projects or South Africa–UK agricultural supply chains. The next step involves interviewing approximately 20 potential customers to identify repeated problems, current expenditure and purchasing authority.
A practical revenue pathway consists of five stages:
- Sell a paid diagnostic or opportunity assessment.
- Deliver a limited pilot with measurable outcomes.
- Convert the pilot into an implementation project.
- Add recurring monitoring, assurance or support.
- Expand through a trusted in-country partner.
This land-and-expand model generates early revenue, builds evidence and reduces the financial exposure associated with premature product development.
Compliance defines where opportunities are viable
BRICS includes both accessible growth markets and heavily restricted jurisdictions. British companies remain subject to UK sanctions, export controls, anti-bribery legislation, financial-crime regulations and data-protection requirements.
Transactions involving Russia, Iran, dual-use technologies, financial services and strategically sensitive infrastructure require enhanced due diligence. The UK financial sanctions guidance for Russia demonstrates the level of scrutiny that may be required.
Currency volatility, intellectual-property protection, delayed payments, local ownership rules and intermediary reliability also require careful management. Businesses capable of managing these risks can turn compliance and assurance into valuable parts of their proposition.
Follow the friction
The BRICS summit has revealed a substantial implementation agenda. Governments want greater cooperation in payments, trade, technology, agriculture, infrastructure and skills. Achieving these objectives will require thousands of practical interventions by businesses, universities, investors and professional advisers.
Entrepreneurs create value by removing commercial friction.
The strongest opportunities will emerge from a clearly defined trade corridor, a trusted local partnership and a problem with measurable financial consequences. Payments, compliance, cybersecurity, digital agriculture, infrastructure resilience and workforce capability all meet these conditions.
The entrepreneurial opportunity following the BRICS summit lies in building the systems, services and relationships that convert political commitment into commercial activity.
