New Delhi | Dr. Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan, Chairman & Managing Director of Seagull International Group, participated in the BRICS Business Council meetings and the BRICS Business Forum 2026 held in New Delhi as part of India’s BRICS Presidency.
A member of the BRICS Business Council Working Group on Skill Development, Applied Technology & Innovation (STIWG), Dr. Sureshkumar participated in the Working Group meeting held on September 10 at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi.
Representatives from BRICS countries deliberated on emerging opportunities and challenges in areas including skill development, future skills, artificial intelligence, advanced and applied technologies, innovation, and industry collaboration.
Dr. Sureshkumar stressed the need to create greater opportunities for skilled youth in the global labour market by strengthening mechanisms for mutual recognition of skills and qualifications, industry-linked Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), digital credentials, a Global Skills Passport, and international talent mobility.
He also underlined the importance of developing human capabilities alongside technological advancement.
“The success of global economic cooperation cannot be measured by trade and investment figures alone. We must create systems that enable skills to cross borders, qualifications to gain international recognition, and young people to access employment opportunities across the world,” he said.
On September 10, Dr. Sureshkumar also attended the BRICS Business Council Annual Meeting, BRICS Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner, which brought together leading business and industry representatives from across BRICS countries.
On September 11, he participated in the BRICS Business Forum 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The Forum featured discussions on strengthening trade among BRICS countries, building more resilient supply chains, agriculture and agri-tech, trade in services, women in business, the digital economy, innovation and technology-led growth.
The Leaders’ Session of the BRICS Business Forum was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and other senior leaders from BRICS countries. India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal also participated in various sessions of the programme.
The leaders shared important perspectives on economic cooperation, trade, investment, technology, the evolving global order and the growing role of the Global South.
The high-level participation from India and other BRICS countries made the Forum an important platform for exchanging views on the future of international economic cooperation and the changing global architecture.
The 2026 engagements are especially significant as BRICS marks 20 years since the beginning of formal BRIC cooperation in 2006. What began with Brazil, Russia, India and China later expanded with South Africa and subsequently other countries, evolving into a major global platform connecting economies across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026 is being conducted under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
Reflecting on his participation, Dr. Sureshkumar said that being part of the BRICS Business Council was both a matter of pride and a significant responsibility.
“BRICS reflects the emergence of a more inclusive and multipolar global economic order. A multipolar world should not merely mean the creation of new centres of power. Its real purpose should be to widen the circle of opportunity and enable more nations and more people to participate in global progress. Skills, technology and international talent mobility can become powerful bridges connecting the BRICS economies,” he said.
He added that India, with one of the world’s largest young populations and a vast pool of skilled manpower, has enormous potential to emerge as a global skills and human resources hub.
Dr. Sureshkumar also advocated closer cooperation among BRICS countries to develop common frameworks for mutual recognition of skills, digital credentials, a BRICS Skills Passport and international workforce mobility.
He described his participation in the two-day BRICS engagements, from Yashobhoomi to Bharat Mandapam, as a proud opportunity to contribute to an important global platform under India’s leadership and to witness the strengthening voice of the Global South in shaping the future of international cooperation.