BRICS Security Advisers Meet in India With Tech Threats on Agenda

India's hosting of the BRICS national security advisers' meeting has placed non-traditional security threats at the centre of the bloc's diplomacy. Reports said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval would chair discussions with his BRICS counterparts, with technology-driven risks, counter-terrorism cooperation and the security of information and communication technologies high on the agenda.

A shifting security agenda

The choice of themes reflects how the threat landscape has moved beyond conventional military concerns. Cyber intrusions, terrorism financing and the misuse of emerging technologies now sit alongside traditional questions of defence and territorial security.

By foregrounding these issues, India is steering the conversation toward areas where coordination among large economies can have an outsized effect, from securing critical digital infrastructure to denying terror networks the tools and funding they rely on.

Who is at the table

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who also functions as China's senior security-policy official, was among the expected participants, underscoring the weight of the gathering. The presence of such figures opens space for sensitive bilateral conversations on the sidelines of the formal agenda.

Those quieter exchanges can be as consequential as the plenary, allowing neighbours and partners to manage friction and explore cooperation away from the cameras.

Building toward the summit

The meeting is part of the run-up to the BRICS Summit that India is due to host later in 2026. For New Delhi, the forum is a chance to shape the security narrative early and arrive at the summit with a coordinated agenda already taking shape.

• Ajit Doval is chairing the BRICS national security advisers' meeting in India.
• Cyber threats, counter-terrorism and ICT security top the agenda.
• Wang Yi was among the expected high-level participants.
• Sideline bilateral talks add diplomatic value to the gathering.
• The meeting precedes the 2026 BRICS Summit hosted by India.

“Security today is as much about code and capital flows as it is about borders.”

— Strategic affairs analyst on the BRICS agenda

As India positions itself to host the wider summit, the advisers' meeting offers an early read on how far the bloc can align on cyber security and strategic coordination. The substance agreed now will shape what leaders can announce later in the year.

The NE Times View

Hosting the BRICS security advisers lets India shape the bloc's agenda on cyber risk and ICT security, areas where its interests and ambitions genuinely align with the grouping. The harder reality is that BRICS members rarely share a common threat perception, and counter-terrorism language often founders on whose terrorism counts. India's value here is as a bridge rather than a bloc loyalist. Watch whether the meeting yields concrete cooperation or another carefully worded communique.

This article is original commentary and analysis by The NE Times. Background facts were referenced from Hindustan Times and additional agency reporting.