The BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting concluded in Guwahati, Assam, with member nations adopting the Guwahati Declaration to strengthen joint action against drug trafficking and related transnational crime. India used the occasion to propose a dedicated BRICS Virtual Working Group for real-time intelligence sharing, while also hosting the world’s first BRICS hackathon in Bengaluru and an academic conference in Moscow under its 2026 chairship theme.
The Guwahati Declaration
The two-day meeting, held on July 6 and 7, 2026, brought together heads of anti-drug agencies from BRICS member countries in Guwahati, Assam. It was hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under India’s BRICS Chairship for 2026, which is themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
The member nations unanimously adopted the Guwahati Declaration, a political commitment document that outlines shared resolve to combat illicit drug trafficking and transnational organised crime. The declaration calls for timely exchange of information, intelligence, and best practices among member countries in line with national laws and international obligations. It also emphasises the use of innovative technologies, digital tools, and data-driven approaches to strengthen law enforcement and regulatory efforts.
Delegates from Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates participated in the meeting. BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
India’s delegation was led by NCB Director General Anurag Garg, who called on BRICS anti-drug agencies to build a partnership based on speed, mutual trust, and seamless real-time intelligence sharing across borders to dismantle transnational drug syndicates.
India’s Proposal: A BRICS Virtual Working Group
A key outcome of the meeting was India’s proposal to establish a dedicated BRICS Virtual Working Group (VWG) to address rapidly evolving drug trafficking trends. NCB chief Anurag Garg proposed the mechanism as a platform for member nations to meet regularly, exchange real-time intelligence, analyse shifting trafficking patterns, and coordinate joint law enforcement operations seamlessly.
The VWG would also focus on strengthening cross-border training initiatives and capacity building for frontline officers. Garg noted that drug trafficking in the 21st century is hyper-connected and operates without jurisdictional limits, making enhanced collaboration not just a policy choice but an absolute necessity.
The proposal builds on the outcomes of the 8th BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group Meeting held virtually on June 15, 2026, under India’s presidency, where senior delegates had already exchanged national drug situation reports and discussed emerging threats.
The Meeting’s Three Priority Areas
The Guwahati meeting focused on three core areas:
| Priority Area | Focus |
|---|---|
| Combating Synthetic Drugs and Precursor Diversion | Tackling the proliferation of synthetic drugs and preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals |
| Strengthening Intelligence Sharing and Operational Coordination | Enhancing real-time information exchange and coordinated enforcement actions |
| Capacity Building and Institutional Cooperation | Joint training programmes, expert exchanges, and adoption of best practices in narcotics enforcement |
The Growing Challenge: Synthetic Drugs, Darknets, and Maritime Routes
The Guwahati Declaration expressed serious concern over the changing nature of the global drug trade. BRICS nations identified several emerging threats that require coordinated response. These include the rapid proliferation of synthetic drugs and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), the diversion of precursor chemicals used in their manufacture, and the misuse of emerging technologies and virtual assets by criminal networks.
Transnational criminal organisations are increasingly exploiting maritime routes for bulk drug shipments and using digital platforms and the darknet for trafficking. The declaration highlighted the need for specialised initiatives for drug demand reduction, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and protection of vulnerable groups, particularly children and youth, through evidence-based approaches.
Thematic sessions during the meeting covered the use of digital technology for real-time drug interdiction, countering darknet-enabled trafficking, and reinforcing global supply chains against precursor chemical diversion.
India’s Domestic Anti-Drug Framework
At the meeting, NCB Director General Anurag Garg outlined India’s comprehensive anti-narcotics strategy. The country has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drugs, backed by a three-year roadmap for 2026-2029 based on a network-centric approach. This strategy focuses on dismantling entire criminal networks rather than individual operators, preventing drug abuse through mass awareness campaigns, and strengthening treatment, de-addiction, and rehabilitation measures.
The Narcotics Control Bureau was established on March 17, 1986, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, pursuant to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. It is headquartered in New Delhi and serves as India’s nodal agency for coordinating anti-drug enforcement across states and with international bodies.
India’s approach under the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) includes strengthening airport interdiction, establishing independent narcotic cells in states, digital tracking of pharmaceutical drugs, and regulating e-pharmacies. The government has also deployed the NIDAAN Portal for tracking narcotics offenders and the MANAS Helpline (Madak padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) for public reporting.
GO-BRICS India-Russia Energy-o-thon 2026
Alongside the anti-drug meeting, India organised the GO-BRICS India-Russia Energy-o-thon 2026 in Bengaluru, described as the world’s first hackathon involving BRICS nations. Launched on July 4, 2026, through a virtual opening ceremony, the event brought together more than 17,000 engineering students from India and Russia to solve a real-world energy problem using artificial intelligence.
The Challenge
Participants received a qualifying problem statement titled “AI Dispatcher for the Energy Transition: Balancing Production and ESG under Uncertainty”. Teams were tasked with using AI to manage a 90 MW power deficit in a hybrid industrial energy system without breaching its sustainability constraints. The solutions were built on the DION digital platform over an intensive 72-hour window.
Structure and Participation
The Energy-o-thon operated as a three-stage contest:
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Online Qualifying Round | Narrowed the field from over 17,000 registrations to the top 60 teams |
| Offline Semi-Finals | Held in India for the shortlisted teams |
| Grand Finale | Fully sponsored participation in Russia, planned to coincide with the BRICS Heads of State Summit |
The event recorded over 40 percent women participants, a notable achievement for an energy and technology competition. Participants came from premier Indian institutions including IITs, NITs, and IIITs, while Russian students joined from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Moscow Polytechnic University, and the Almetyevsk Higher School of Oil. Many worked in mixed India-Russia teams across time zones and languages.
Organisers and Theme
The Energy-o-thon was initiated by the GO-BRICS Business Forum and coordinated in India by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), an Institute of National Importance established in 2008 under an Act of Parliament, with its main campus in Jais, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. The event was built around the theme “AI and Digital Technologies in Energy for Advancing the ESG Agenda”. The initiative was led by Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum, with institutional support from RGIPT Director Professor Harish Hirani.
BRICS Academic Thematic Conference in Moscow
The BRICS Academic Thematic Conference was held in Moscow, Russia, under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026, jointly organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the BRICS Expert Council Russia. The conference was themed “Strengthening BRICS Connectivity: Fostering Cooperation” and brought together nearly 120 participants from 10 BRICS member and partner countries, including policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and experts.
The Observer Research Foundation, established in 1990 and headquartered in New Delhi, is one of India’s leading independent think tanks, ranked among the top globally. It focuses on security, strategy, economy, development, energy, and global governance.
Three Core Sessions
The conference was structured around three thematic sessions:
Crossing Continents: Resilient Connectivity examined how stronger connectivity can enhance resilience across infrastructure, trade, finance, digital systems, and people-to-people exchanges. Discussions highlighted the importance of diversified transport corridors such as the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200 km multi-modal network connecting India, Iran, Russia, and Central Asia, and the Northern Sea Route, a 5,600 km Arctic shipping lane.
Corridors of Cooperation: Securing Critical Supply Chains focused on building resilient supply chains for critical minerals and strategic sectors underpinning the energy transition and advanced technologies. Participants emphasised diversified sourcing, regional value chains, and sustainable financing.
High Technologies and AI: Prospects for BRICS Cooperation explored opportunities for collaboration in frontier technologies. Discussions called for moving from broad AI principles to practical cooperation through interoperable regulatory frameworks, shared standards, and collaborative research.
Key Speakers
The conference opened with remarks from Pavel Knyazev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sous-Sherpa for BRICS; Nikhilesh Giri, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Russia; Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council, Russia; and Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India. Speakers highlighted BRICS’ growing role as a platform for inclusive multilateralism and practical cooperation, reaffirming the principles of sovereign equality and consensus-building.
India’s BRICS Chairship 2026: The Broader Picture
India assumed the BRICS Chairship for 2026 on January 1, 2026, for the fourth time, having previously held it in 2012, 2016, and 2021. The presidency is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit.
The three events detailed above represent distinct pillars of India’s BRICS agenda: security cooperation (anti-drug meeting), technological innovation (Energy-o-thon), and academic diplomacy (ORF conference). The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled for September 12-13, 2026, in New Delhi.
BRICS was formalised in 2006 with the first summit held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. As of 2026, the grouping comprises 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, with 10 partner countries including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, and Vietnam. The bloc represents approximately 41% of global GDP (PPP) and about 45% of the world’s population, making it one of the most influential multilateral platforms for the Global South.
Key Takeaways
- The Guwahati Declaration was adopted at the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting held on July 6-7, 2026, in Guwahati, Assam, under India’s BRICS Chairship.
- India proposed a dedicated BRICS Virtual Working Group (VWG) for real-time intelligence sharing, cross-border training, and coordinated operations against drug trafficking.
- The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), established on March 17, 1986, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is India’s nodal agency for anti-drug enforcement under the NDPS Act, 1985.
- India’s domestic anti-drug strategy includes a zero-tolerance policy, a three-year roadmap (2026-2029), and the Vision Document on Narcotics Control focusing on a network-centric approach.
- The GO-BRICS India-Russia Energy-o-thon 2026, the world’s first BRICS hackathon, was launched in Bengaluru with over 17,000 participants using AI to solve a 90 MW power deficit challenge.
- The BRICS Academic Thematic Conference on “Strengthening BRICS Connectivity: Fostering Cooperation” was held in Moscow, jointly organised by ORF (est. 1990, New Delhi) and the BRICS Expert Council Russia.
- The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled for September 12-13, 2026, in New Delhi, as India chairs the grouping for the fourth time under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
