R. Suryamurthy
India’s electronics exports to BRICS member countries rose 49.27 percent in 2025-26, substantially outpacing the 26.53 percent growth in the country’s overall electronics exports, according to the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC), which sees further opportunities emerging from the bloc’s push for deeper digital and trade cooperation.
The sharp increase comes as India prepares to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, where proposals covering digital infrastructure, global value chains, small businesses and technology cooperation are expected to feature prominently.
ESC said the growth figures underscored the importance of converting the grouping’s policy discussions into practical commercial opportunities for Indian exporters.
BRICS accounted for around 19.61 percent of India’s total electronics exports worldwide in 2025-26, with the United Arab Emirates and China emerging as the largest destinations. Together, the two markets accounted for 88.50 percent of India’s electronics exports to BRICS countries.
Telecom equipment dominated the export basket, accounting for 74.60 percent of India’s electronics shipments to the grouping.
The figures point to both the growing importance of BRICS markets for India’s electronics industry and the risks associated with the heavy concentration of exports in a small number of countries.
“While the growth in India’s electronics exports to BRICS is encouraging, the concentration of exports in a few markets also highlights the need for greater market diversification,” Gurmeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of ESC, said.
“About 88.50 percent of India’s electronics exports to BRICS currently come from the UAE and China, indicating significant scope to explore opportunities across other markets within the grouping,” he added.
India’s BRICS chairship has placed greater emphasis on digital cooperation, potentially creating new opportunities for electronics manufacturers and technology companies if proposed initiatives move from discussion to implementation.
ESC said deliberations around a proposed BRICS Digital Public Infrastructure Repository could support greater technology collaboration among member countries. The Council also pointed to a bilateral India-Brazil information and communication technology memorandum signed in Pune last month, covering areas including 5G and 6G technologies, Open Radio Access Networks, or Open RAN, and satellite connectivity.
For Indian exporters, deeper cooperation in these areas could eventually generate demand for network equipment, certified devices and software used to operate digital infrastructure across participating markets, ESC said.
“Several items on this year’s agenda, under India’s BRICS chairship, could have a bearing on this trajectory, though the specific outcomes will depend on how these deliberations progress,” Singh said.
The proposed BRICS Global Value Chains Action Plan for 2026-2030 could also provide a framework for greater industrial and supply-chain integration among member countries, while a proposed MSME Cooperation Portal could help smaller companies identify cross-border business opportunities, ESC said.
Rajesh Revankar, Chairman of ESC, said the initiatives could create new opportunities for Indian electronics exporters, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises.
“The BRICS Global Value Chains Action Plan 2026-2030 and the proposed MSME Cooperation Portal can open new avenues for Indian electronics exporters, particularly MSMEs, to participate in emerging cross-border value chains,” Revankar said.
“As BRICS deepens economic and technology cooperation, Indian industry has an opportunity to build stronger linkages across these markets and become a more active participant in evolving global value chains,” he added.
ESC also highlighted a proposed BRICS invoice discounting mechanism aimed at addressing trade-finance constraints faced by smaller businesses. Such a mechanism, if implemented, could help exporters manage working-capital requirements while expanding into markets including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Indonesia and South Africa.
For smaller electronics manufacturers, access to finance has often been as important as market access, particularly when entering new overseas markets and dealing with longer payment cycles.
The Council said the summit’s discussions could therefore have implications beyond headline trade figures, particularly if they lead to mechanisms that reduce transaction costs, improve financing and help companies connect with suppliers and buyers across BRICS economies.
At the same time, ESC cautioned that expanding digital commerce and technology cooperation would bring new compliance challenges.
As member countries consider closer cooperation on cross-border data management and cybersecurity, including discussions around a possible BRICS Cybersecurity Alliance, Indian IT-enabled services and technology exporters will need to closely monitor emerging regulatory requirements, the Council said.
Singh said ESC was working with its members to improve awareness of overseas markets, trade frameworks and preferential market-access opportunities.
“At ESC, we’re helping members do exactly that, building awareness of market developments, trade frameworks and preferential access — including through focused FTA sessions that show how evolving agreements can sharpen market access, competitiveness and value chain integration,” he said.
With India’s electronics exports to BRICS already growing faster than the country’s overall electronics shipments, the New Delhi summit could provide an important test of whether the grouping’s expanding digital agenda can translate into broader commercial opportunities.
For India, the challenge will be not only to sustain export growth but also to diversify beyond the UAE and China, deepen participation in cross-border value chains and ensure that smaller manufacturers are able to benefit from the next phase of BRICS economic and technological cooperation.