External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called for more predictable business environments, resilient supply chains and diversified trade relationships across BRICS nations, saying the grouping’s economic strength would increasingly depend on its ability to absorb global shocks while remaining connected and competitive.Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum, Jaishankar said the grouping was meeting at a time of major geopolitical and economic disruption, with conflicts, pandemics and climate-related events reshaping economies even as digitisation and technological advances create new opportunities for growth.Also Read: BRICS Business Forum 2026: Piyush Goyal urges nations to open markets, cut trade barriers and link payment systems“We meet at a time when global political and economic order is under churn. Volatility, uncertainty, and complexity have become defining features of the world around us,” he said.Jaishankar said the BRICS business community had a role beyond identifying commercial opportunities, arguing that the forum should focus on the conditions needed to make cross-border business easier and more resilient.He pointed to supply-chain connectivity and trade facilitation as key priorities, alongside services, agriculture and agri-technology, digital delivery, MSMEs, start-ups and women-led enterprises.The common objective, he said, should be to help businesses find more partners, access more markets, connect supply networks and turn complementarities between economies into viable commercial partnerships.From resilience to self-relianceJaishankar linked stronger economic ties within BRICS to greater economic security and self-reliance, while cautioning that this should not mean turning inward.“For BRICS, particularly, higher economic activity, higher economic security means greater self-reliance,” he said.He said building the ability to withstand shocks would require “genuine market practices, dependable logistics, predictable business environment, diversified commercial relationships, and transparent trade and investment.”Also Read: BRICS Summit in New Delhi: The grand finale is India's moment to navigate a bigger, and more divided blocEnergy systems would also need to be capable of dealing with disruption and transition, he said, while recognising that countries would follow different pathways depending on their national circumstances.The minister also highlighted the growing intersection of technology, economics and geopolitics. Digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, fintech and advanced manufacturing offer significant opportunities, but also raise questions around access, standards, security and trust.