India has spent the last decade building one of the world’s most active startup ecosystems. The next challenge may be much bigger than creating more startups: helping Indian startups cross borders, find new customers and access capital beyond India.

That is where BRICS is beginning to look interesting.

As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, entrepreneurship and innovation have emerged as important parts of the country’s BRICS agenda. The grouping now consists of 11 countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, along with the UAE — representing nearly half of the world’s population and around 40% of global GDP. 

But for Indian founders, the most interesting question is not how large BRICS is.

It is whether this growing economic group can become a practical launchpad for startups looking to go global.

From Indian Startups to Global Startups

India's startup story has largely been about building at home.

Over the past decade, entrepreneurs have created companies across fintech, healthcare, electric mobility, artificial intelligence, climate technology, agriculture, manufacturing and consumer businesses.

The next stage is internationalisation.

For a startup, entering another country is rarely as simple as finding customers. Founders have to understand local regulations, identify investors, find partners, navigate payments, build distribution networks and understand a completely different business environment.

This is where India's BRICS initiatives could become significant.

Under India's 2026 BRICS chairship, proposals have emerged for a BRICS Incubator Network and a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund, alongside wider cooperation on MSMEs, trade and supply chains. 

The idea is relatively simple: make it easier for entrepreneurs in one BRICS country to connect with the innovation ecosystem of another.

For an Indian startup, that could eventually mean access to incubators, investors, mentors and business networks beyond the domestic market.

What Is the BRICS Incubator Network?

The proposed BRICS Incubator Network is designed as a digital interface connecting national agencies, selected incubators and startups across BRICS countries.

A startup could register through the network and potentially be connected with participating incubators in another country. The framework also envisages referrals of qualified startups to incubators in other BRICS nations. 

That may sound like a small administrative change, but for an early-stage founder, access can be just as important as capital.

Imagine an Indian climate-tech startup developing technology for water management.

Instead of trying to enter a new market completely alone, the company could potentially connect with an incubator, technology partner or business network in another BRICS country.

The same could apply to an Indian agritech startup looking for agricultural partners, a health-tech company searching for regional markets or a manufacturing startup looking for overseas suppliers.

The value is not simply in creating another online platform.

The real value would come from turning the network into actual connections, customers, investment and market access.

The Startup Innovation Fund

Alongside the incubator network, India has proposed a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to catalyse financing for early- and growth-stage startups and support innovation-driven entrepreneurship across BRICS countries. 

But there is an important distinction.

The fund is a proposal at this stage. Its final corpus, structure and launch timeline have not yet been specified. 

That makes it too early to call it a new source of funding for Indian founders.

Instead, the more interesting question is what such a fund could become if the participating countries turn the proposal into a functioning investment mechanism.

If properly structured, it could create another channel for early and growth-stage companies to access capital while encouraging investors to look beyond their domestic markets.

For Indian startups, that could be particularly valuable in sectors that require large amounts of capital and longer development cycles.

Deep-tech, semiconductor technology, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and biotechnology companies often need substantially more time and capital than conventional software businesses.

A cross-border funding mechanism could potentially give some of these companies another route to scale.

India Is Already Building Its Domestic Funding Base

The BRICS proposal also comes at a time when India is strengthening its own startup financing ecosystem.

In February 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a ₹10,000 crore corpus, aimed at mobilising venture capital for Indian startups, with a focus that includes deep-tech, innovative manufacturing and early-growth companies. The scheme is being deployed through eligible alternative investment funds rather than directly funding individual startups.

This creates an interesting two-level opportunity.

India is building the domestic capital ecosystem.

BRICS could potentially create a cross-border layer on top of it.

The first helps startups grow in India.

The second could help successful startups look outward.

The Bigger Opportunity May Be Beyond Funding

It is tempting to look at the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund and focus only on money.

But capital is only one part of building a global company.

A founder entering a new country needs customers, suppliers, technology partners, mentors, employees, logistics and local knowledge.

That is why other BRICS initiatives could matter just as much.

India has also been working on a BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal, intended to connect businesses with technology centres, trade associations, financial institutions, training organisations and policymakers.

The broader agenda also includes cooperation on supply chains and logistics. 

For startups involved in physical products, manufacturing or hardware, these developments could be particularly important.

A company building an electric-vehicle component, for example, may need access to suppliers in one market, manufacturing capabilities in another and customers in a third.

The ability to navigate that ecosystem could become a competitive advantage.

A Different Route to Going Global

For years, the phrase “global Indian startup” has often been associated with expansion into the United States, Europe or other established technology markets.

BRICS presents a different possibility.

It puts greater attention on emerging economies and the Global South.

That could open opportunities for Indian startups whose products are designed specifically for developing markets.

Affordable healthcare technology, financial inclusion products, agricultural technology, climate solutions, digital public infrastructure and low-cost manufacturing technologies are all areas where challenges can be similar across emerging economies.

A solution created in India does not necessarily have to remain an Indian solution.

It could potentially be adapted for Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, Egypt or other emerging markets.

That is where the BRICS opportunity becomes more interesting.

But There Are Real Challenges

The idea is promising, but cooperation on paper does not automatically translate into business opportunities.

The first challenge is execution.

A startup network is only useful if founders can actually find investors, customers and partners through it.

The second is regulation.

Every country has different rules around taxation, data, foreign investment, intellectual property and business registration. Making these systems work together will be considerably harder than creating a digital platform.

The third challenge is market access.

Countries can agree to encourage entrepreneurship while companies still face practical barriers when trying to enter each other's markets.

India's own business discussions around the BRICS summit have highlighted concerns relating to investment restrictions and access to high-technology imports, particularly in relation to China.

That is a reminder that economic cooperation does not eliminate geopolitical and commercial realities.

The Real Test Will Be What Happens After the Summit

The BRICS Summit can produce announcements.

But startups need outcomes.

An Indian founder does not necessarily need another policy document. They need a customer in another country, an investor willing to back them, a trusted local partner or a faster route through regulatory hurdles.

That is why the proposed incubator network and startup fund should ultimately be judged on measurable results.

How many startups actually use the network?

How much capital crosses borders?

How many companies enter new BRICS markets?

How many partnerships are created?

How many jobs and products emerge from the cooperation?

Those numbers will matter far more than the number of announcements made at the summit.

Could BRICS Become India's Next Startup Launchpad?

India has already demonstrated that it can create startups at scale.

The next challenge is helping those startups become globally competitive companies.

BRICS could provide one possible route.

The proposed Startup Innovation Fund could address capital. The Incubator Network could address connections. The MSME initiatives could improve market access. Supply-chain cooperation could help manufacturing and hardware companies expand.

Together, these initiatives point towards something larger than a funding programme.

They suggest an attempt to build a cross-border innovation ecosystem.

But the opportunity will depend on execution.

If these initiatives remain largely frameworks and declarations, their impact on founders will be limited.

If they develop into functioning networks where entrepreneurs can raise capital, find partners, enter markets and build companies across borders, BRICS could become something much more valuable.

It could become a bridge between India's startup ecosystem and some of the world's fastest-growing markets.

India has already built the startups.

The next question is whether it can build the bridges that help them go global.