BRICS nations adopt joint declaration social protection, skills and future of work at Hyderabad meeting

Hyderabad hosted the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting on Wednesday, July 15, under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, with member countries adopting a joint declaration to strengthen cooperation on social protection, labour market reforms, women’s workforce participation, skills development and digital employment services.

Held under India’s chairship theme, ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, the two-day meeting brought together Labour Ministers, heads of delegations, representatives of BRICS member nations, employers’ and workers’ organisations, and international partners to discuss the future of work and deepen collaboration among developing economies.

Inaugurating the meeting, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India had undertaken major labour reforms by consolidating 29 outdated labour laws into four Labour Codes in November 2025, creating what he described as a worker-centric legal framework for the country’s 1.4 billion people.

Mr. Mandaviya underlined India’s efforts to strengthen international labour mobility by preparing a future-ready workforce for global opportunities. “India currently hosts over 2,100 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) employing 2.35 million professionals and generating nearly USD 98 billion in annual revenue,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, Telangana Labour and Employment Minister Vivek Venkataswamy urged BRICS nations to work towards a future where prosperity is shared, labour is respected and every worker enjoys dignity, security and equal opportunity. He also showcased the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM) as a model for transparent international labour mobility and called for greater exchange of best practices among member countries.

A key outcome of the meeting was the adoption of the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Declaration, reaffirming the commitment of member countries to promote decent work, strengthen social protection systems, improve employability, support inclusive economic growth and enhance cooperation in addressing common labour market challenges.

The meeting also saw the launch of ‘BRICS CONNECT’, an India-led initiative aimed at institutionalising technical cooperation, capacity building and knowledge exchange among BRICS nations.