Delhi: In preparation for hosting the 18th BRICS summit this weekend, India has crafted a strategic slogan, aiming to maintain the integrity of the group's brand while also appealing to its newly expanded membership. The slogan, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," cleverly aligns with the acronym of the bloc's original members-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-and also reflects objectives that resonate with new members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to Deutsche Welle, the slogan serves as an "elegant way to reinterpret BRICS so that the acronym represents a joint mission rather than country names," as noted by Mihaela Papa, director of the BRICS Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sushant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale University, views the slogan as indicative of India's intent to keep the summit low-key and neutral. "India doesn't want to offend Russia or China, but the fact is that Indians are looking more towards the United States these days," Singh said, emphasizing that India's enthusiasm to bolster BRICS is limited.
India's role as the host this year carries additional weight, given its rising status in global geopolitics. Unlike last year's summit in Brazil, where significant leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were absent, this year's event sees Putin confirmed to attend, with Xi's participation widely anticipated though not formally confirmed. Papa underscores the importance of China's presence, noting it as crucial for demonstrating BRICS' strength as a "stabilizing force," especially if regional rivals like Iran and the UAE manage to collaborate effectively.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to attend, while UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is expected to send representatives. Saudi Arabia, another country with tense relations with Iran, is also expected to participate, though its exact status within BRICS remains unclear. For India, the summit's significance lies as much in the bilateral meetings it facilitates as in the BRICS gathering itself. A meeting between Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled, providing a platform for Modi and Xi to discuss ongoing tensions between China and India.
Despite these interactions, Singh suggests that substantial outcomes from the summit are unlikely. Modi has previously highlighted BRICS as a crucial forum for the Global South to present a unified stance on various issues, promoting a "people-centric approach" and prioritizing "humanity first." However, Singh contends that BRICS is not a priority for India, which prefers not to align with the group's perceived "anti-western" trajectory. "With India as chair, India won't be comfortable with any kind of anti-western line," Singh states, pointing to India's strong defense and trade ties with Western nations.
Ironically, India's non-aligned status may enable it to maintain cohesion within the bloc. "India adds clout because it has significant geopolitical weight and relationships across competing camps, making it an important bridge-builder," Papa notes, suggesting that India is likely to steer BRICS towards practical cooperation and reforms in global governance rather than engaging in overt bloc politics.
As BRICS nears its 18th anniversary, questions about its coherence and purpose remain. The bloc, comprising nearly half the world's population and around 40% of its GDP, has called for global governance reforms and criticized international polarization. Yet, as Papa observes, the expansion from five to potentially 11 members has complicated consensus-building due to the diverse political landscapes of member countries. Singh highlights the internal contradictions and geopolitical challenges that hinder the group's potential for major achievements.
Nonetheless, Papa foresees progress in areas like trade, monetary cooperation, and agriculture during the summit. Discussions are expected to prioritize enhancing intra-member trade, creating alternative financial frameworks, and addressing food security. While global governance reform will remain a focus, BRICS might concentrate on areas where consensus is more attainable, such as trade and the WTO, aligning with India's ambitions in these sectors.
Despite these prospects, many share Singh's skepticism, believing that BRICS will "continue to underwhelm" given the complex global dynamics and internal inconsistencies. Singh points to challenges like China's growing dominance and the impact of U.S. trade policies as complicating factors for the bloc's limited objectives. "With the kind of world that we are in and the lack of coherence and internal contradictions that BRICS has, it's very unlikely that it will achieve anything major," he concludes.