How Russia is Shifting its IT and Creative Economy Towards BRICS: What Markets and Tools Have Opened Up Right Now?

Two platforms have acted as catalysts: the International Conference on Creative Economy in St. Petersburg, which brought together 1,500 participants from over 30 countries in BRICS, CIS, SCO, and MENA, as reported by RIA Novosti, and ITPARK FEST in Sevastopol, focusing on exporting domestic IT solutions to friendly nations, as communicated by "Perviy Sevastopolskiy". Against this backdrop, companies and regions have announced ecosystem-wide steps, from initial export deals to launching new content markets and data centers.

What new export channels and markets are opening for Russian IT and content?

The primary rapid entry points have been Brazil, India, and China, along with China's e-commerce ecosystem via streamers. On the corporate IT front, ITglobal.com has already finalized its first deals for supplying Russian software and hardware to Brazil, India, and China, as announced by Ridus.

Integrators and technoparks are strengthening the export vector: at ITPARK FEST, Dmitry Gachko, founder of the IT Park and ITglobal.com group, confirmed growing interest in Russian solutions in Brazil and China, particularly in cybersecurity, business process automation, and engineering software, as stated by Tsargrad.

The Chinese market for content and goods is opening through local streamers: the Russian Export Center has proposed replicating the successful model of promoting Russian goods in China to audiovisual content, incorporating direct purchase options within the content itself, as declared by REC on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg conference.

Result: commercial "gateways" to BRICS are now open, and the marketing infrastructure for scaling (stream commerce in China) is beginning to be built.

How are regions setting up infrastructure for creative exports?

Regions are prioritizing their own distribution channels and rights markets to reduce reliance on foreign equipment and platforms. Yakutia has presented the "Extra Cinema" hardware-software complex (4K) for content screening, which is already replacing foreign solutions and is being adapted with Indian partners, as reported by YakutiaMedia and as confirmed by IA YASIA.

Concurrently, Yakutsk will host Russia's first international content market, Global Entertainment Market (GEM), in March 2026, expecting 400 participants and approximately 7,000 visitors focused on animation, film, game development, and music, as announced by the region's head at RICS. Regional teams are also increasing cooperation: the Novosibirsk region confirmed its commitment to developing the creative economy and interregional exchanges at the St. Petersburg conference (including a business mission from St. Petersburg to Novosibirsk in March 2026), as conveyed by "Selskiy Trudzhenik".

Conclusion: a "own distribution → rights market → export" chain is being formed, with an emphasis on ATR markets and India.

Where is Russian-Indian cooperation rapidly growing, and what does it mean for IT and media?

The primary drivers are joint infrastructure projects and content initiatives supported by stable settlements. Following the Tatarstan-India forum, mutual trade growth was confirmed (up to $360 million for Tatarstan, 80% exports), and Russia and India plan to increase trade turnover to $100 billion by 2030. Concurrently, discussions are underway to open an Indian consulate general in Kazan as early as November, as reported by "Kazanskiye Vedomosti".

In the ICT segment, the agenda includes a joint digital platform for startups and the potential construction of data processing centers with an AI cluster in Tatarstan by one of India's largest telecom operators, CtrlS, as indicated by forum communications.

"Many countries worldwide want to acquire our products, replacing Western solutions... Within BRICS, there are enough countries, more than Western ones, and they are genuinely ready to welcome us," Dmitry Gachko articulated the export focus, as quoted by Tsargrad.

Overall, India serves as a key market for IT infrastructure, startup exchanges, and cultural exchange, ranging from cinema exhibition technologies to content production.

What BRICS market entry strategy should companies adopt now?

The foundational strategy involves entering through established demand channels (stream commerce), local integrator partners, and regional content showcases.

• Utilize Chinese stream commerce: REC proposes scaling the successful experience of promoting Russian goods via local streamers and integrating purchases directly into content, as emphasized by REC.

• Pursue first deals in the BRICS "triad" – Brazil, India, China: these are already confirmed markets for Russian software and hardware, as reported by Ridus.

• Showcase products at industry showcases: regional festivals and conferences (including the Sevastopol platform focused on exports) provide quick access to target audiences and partners, as communicated by "Perviy Sevastopolskiy".

• Plan for distribution localization: solutions like "Extra Cinema" demonstrate the value of controlling content delivery channels and adapting to India and Asia-Pacific.

• Build infrastructure alliances: joint data centers and AI clusters with Indian players (e.g., CtrlS) open pathways to data, latency, and compliance with local requirements.

What are the tactical risks and limitations on this route?

Key limitations are related to the independence of content delivery channels, the need for adaptation, and the early stage of scaling export cases. The main systemic risk was highlighted at RICS: dependence on foreign equipment and software for exhibition. This is precisely why "Extra Cinema" is being implemented as a replacement for foreign solutions, as noted by the head of Yakutia.

Localization is not an option but a requirement: the Yakutian complex is already being refined for Indian conditions, confirming the need for early adaptation of products and services to the market, as reported by IA YASIA.

Finally, IT exports to BRICS are in the phase of initial contracts: this creates a window of opportunity but requires discipline in operational scaling and partnerships, as stated by Ridus.