India Hosts BRICS NSA Meeting: Addressing the Frontier of Non-Traditional Security Threats

India is hosting the BRICS National Security Advisers' (NSA) meeting in New Delhi on June 22-23, 2026. Chaired by NSA Ajit Doval, the summit marks a significant pivot in the bloc’s strategic focus toward "Non-traditional security challenges." While traditional security concerns like border disputes and conventional terrorism remain relevant, the 2026 meeting prioritizes the disruptive potential of emerging technologies.

The agenda highlights the dual-use nature of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the proliferation of deepfakes, and the rise of autonomous systems. These technologies have redefined the security landscape, moving the 'battlefield' from physical borders to digital networks and cognitive spaces. Deepfakes, for instance, pose a severe threat to social cohesion and democratic processes by facilitating sophisticated disinformation campaigns. Similarly, autonomous weapon systems raise complex ethical and legal questions regarding accountability and the international laws of armed conflict.

For India, chairing this meeting is a strategic opportunity to lead the discourse on digital sovereignty and collective security for the Global South. The discussions emphasize that in an interconnected world, a security breach in one nation can have cascading effects across the BRICS bloc. The meeting aims to establish a framework for intelligence sharing, joint R&D in defensive AI, and the creation of international norms to govern cyberspace. This is particularly relevant as BRICS expands, requiring a unified stance on data privacy and cyber-resilience.

Furthermore, the meeting touches upon the ethical dimensions of technology. As AI becomes integrated into governance and security, ensuring transparency and preventing algorithmic bias is crucial. The BRICS platform provides a unique space where diverse political systems can find common ground on technical standards and ethical guardrails, countering the dominance of Western-centric security architectures.