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Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes

Indian PM highlights economic strength and cooperation at BRICS Business Forum.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes

What this story says

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged BRICS nations to remove trade barriers and strengthen business partnerships at the BRICS Business Forum.
  • Modi stated that BRICS nations account for 50% of the world's population and 40% of its GDP, with economies growing at approximately twice the rate of the global economy.
  • The Prime Minister stressed the importance of secure sea lanes and seafarers' safety for the continuation of global trade.
  • He also highlighted India's role as a hub for innovation and solutions amidst global uncertainties.

Who covered it

Left 12%(2)Centre 23%(4)Right 65%(11)

Percentages are shares of the 17 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 21 of the 38 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

57/100

Hype

41/100

38 sources · methodology

Thin on the left so far

Only 2 of the 17 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.

This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BRICS Business Forum, calling for increased cooperation and the removal of trade barriers among member nations. He highlighted the significant economic contributions of the BRICS group, stating that its countries represent 50% of the world's population and 40% of its GDP. Modi also noted that BRICS economies have expanded at roughly twice the growth rate of the world economy.

During his address, Modi emphasized the critical role of secure sea lanes and the safety of seafarers for enabling global trade. He also presented India as a source of confidence for growth and stability amid global uncertainties, positioning the country as a hub for innovation and solutions. The Prime Minister urged BRICS countries to strengthen business partnerships and remove impediments to trade.

Disagreement on trade barrier specifics

While Prime Minister Modi urged BRICS countries to remove trade barriers, the specific number of barriers to be removed was reported differently. Devdiscourse, The Hindu Business Line, and The Free Press Journal reported Modi calling for the removal of trade barriers without specifying a number. In contrast, Business Today and TV9 Hindi reported Modi urging BRICS members to identify and remove their top 10 trade barriers.

What the coverage left out

None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mention the specific figure of BRICS economies expanding at 'nearly four-and-a-half-fold' growth rate, as stated by Prime Minister Modi in the full report from Devdiscourse. The digests from the centre and right-rated outlets only mention the growth rate being 'twice' or 'roughly twice' the global economy.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 11 Sept 2026, 16:30, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes
One IndiaLeft

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

2 rated outlets

  • The single left-rated report, One India, led on Prime Minister Modi's statement that India is becoming a 'global solution hub'. It noted that the BRICS grouping has expanded to 21 countries, representing 50% of the global population, 40% GDP, and 20% trade. The report also mentioned the grouping marking 20 years and described the forum as the 'biggest BRICS forum in India till date'.

Centre

4 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports from Devdiscourse, Hindustan Times, The Statesman, and Hola News focused on Prime Minister Modi's emphasis on BRICS as innovation and trade powerhouses amidst global uncertainties. Devdiscourse highlighted Modi praising BRICS nations for their role in global innovation and trade, and their economic strength. Hindustan Times noted Modi highlighting the growing economic influence of BRICS, with its nations representing 50% of the world's population, 40% of global GDP, and over 25% of global trade. The Statesman reported Modi calling for stronger BRICS business partnerships, stating India can be a growth and stability anchor. Hola News mentioned Modi defending free trade against rising protectionism and highlighting safe shipping routes.

Right

11 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports from Times of India, India TV News, The Hindu Business Line, aninews.in, NDTV, Moneycontrol, Tribune India, India Today, and ABP News led on Prime Minister Modi's statements regarding trade barriers and the security of sea lanes. India TV News and NDTV specifically mentioned Modi's reference to Hormuz in the context of secure sea routes being essential for global trade. The Hindu Business Line and India Today also highlighted the importance of freedom of navigation and seafarers' safety. Times of India and ABP News reported Modi's assertion that BRICS economies are growing at approximately twice the global rate. Aninews.in and Moneycontrol noted Modi's call for removing trade barriers and securing supply routes amidst rising global protectionism. Tribune India mentioned the 'speed, scale and optimism of BRICS'.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes?
Of the 17 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 12% are rated left, 23% are rated centre, 65% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 38. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 17 rated outlets on this story, 12% are rated left, 23% are rated centre, 65% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes biased?
Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes is one event reported by 38 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which side is not reporting Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes?
When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
Which outlets covered Modi urges BRICS to cut trade barriers, secure sea lanes?
38 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What did PM Modi say about BRICS economies?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that BRICS economies have expanded at roughly twice the growth rate of the world economy. He also highlighted that BRICS nations account for 50% of the world's population and 40% of its GDP, underscoring their significant economic strength.
Why did PM Modi stress the importance of sea lanes?
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that secure sea lanes and the safety of seafarers are critical for the continuation of global trade. He stated that global trade can only advance when supply routes remain open and seafarers are protected, supporting freedom of navigation.
What did PM Modi urge BRICS countries to do?
Prime Minister Modi urged BRICS countries to remove trade barriers and strengthen business partnerships. He also called for enhanced cooperation to foster growth, innovation, and shared prosperity amidst global economic uncertainties and rising protectionism.

Read it at the source

38 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

2

Centre

4

Right

11
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Not rated

21
Show 13 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Modi at BRICS Forum | MediaBias News