BRICS Nations Eye Cooperation on Labour, Skills, and AI: Mandaviya

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said there is significant scope for collaboration among BRICS countries in labour-related fields such as social security, skill development, artificial intelligence governance, and decent work.

Speaking after inaugurating the three-day BRICS Trade Union Forum Summit-2026 in New Delhi, Mandaviya noted that the five member nations together represent nearly half of the global population and constitute one of the world's largest labour forces.

“As our economies continue to evolve, there is immense potential for deeper cooperation in areas such as social security, skills, AI governance, labour mobility and decent work,” the minister said.

He highlighted that the forthcoming BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting in Hyderabad on July 15 offers an opportunity to convert the summit’s recommendations into concrete policy cooperation and practical outcomes.

“Together, BRICS can shape a future of work that is innovative, inclusive and human-centric,” Mandaviya added.

The minister also spoke about India’s domestic labour achievements. He said employment generation remains central to India’s growth strategy, and that nearly 170 million employment opportunities have been created over the past decade.

According to Mandaviya, the unemployment rate has declined from 6% in 2017 to 3.1% in 2025, while the female employment rate increased significantly from 22% to 38.8% during the same period.

To sustain this momentum, the government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, an employment-linked incentive scheme aiming to create 35 million formal sector jobs over two years, he said.

The BRICS Trade Union Forum Summit brings together representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to discuss labour issues and promote worker welfare. The meeting in Hyderabad will see labour ministers from all five nations participating.