New delhi: In preparation for hosting the 18th BRICS summit in Delhi this weekend, India introduced a slogan aimed at preserving the group's identity while accommodating its new members. The slogan, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," reflects the acronym for the body's original members-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-and represents goals that new members like Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates can support.According to Deutsche Welle, the slogan has been described as an elegant way to reinterpret BRICS, emphasizing a joint mission rather than individual country names. Mihaela Papa, director of the BRICS Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, praised the approach. Sushant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale University, suggested that the vague slogan aligns with India's desire to keep the summit low-key and neutral.Yet, India's status as a rising global geopolitical power adds significance to this year's g athering. Compared to last year's summit in Brazil, where six of the bloc's 11 heads of state were absent, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, this year's participation is expected to be more robust. Putin is anticipated to attend, and Xi is widely expected, though not yet confirmed by Beijing.Papa emphasizes that the participation of China's top leadership is crucial, highlighting the potential for BRICS to act as a "stabilizing force" if regional rivals like Iran and the UAE can collaborate. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend, but UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is expected to send representatives. Saudi Arabia, another Iranian adversary, is also expected to participate, although its BRICS status remains somewhat ambiguous.For India, the summit offers significant opportunities for bilateral meetings, such as the expected meeting between Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also provides a platform for Xi and Modi to enga ge directly amid ongoing tensions between China and India.Despite these prospects, Singh believes the summit is unlikely to yield substantial outcomes. Modi has promoted BRICS as a forum for the Global South to present a unified front on various issues, emphasizing a "people-centric approach" and the spirit of "humanity first." However, Singh argues that BRICS is not a priority for India, and Delhi is uncomfortable with the group's perceived "anti-western" turn.India's non-aligned status might enable it to keep the bloc aligned, as Papa suggests. India's geopolitical weight and relationships across competing camps position it as an important bridge-builder, likely keeping BRICS focused on practical cooperation and global governance reform rather than overt bloc politics.As BRICS approaches its 18th anniversary, the bloc struggles for coherence amid doubts over its purpose. It boasts nearly half the world's population and around 40% of its GDP among its members. Last year's joint declaration called for r eforms in global governance and condemned tariffs, while seeking to avoid geopolitical tensions.Nonetheless, Papa expects progress in trade, monetary cooperation, and agriculture during this year's summit. Discussions are likely to focus on enhancing trade among members, alternative financial architectures, and food security issues. While reforming global governance remains central, BRICS may achieve more by concentrating on areas of agreement, such as India's WTO ambitions.Despite these hopes, many, including Singh, remain skeptical of BRICS' ability to achieve significant outcomes. The bloc faces challenges ranging from China's global dominance to the complexities of international trade tariffs, making its goals difficult to achieve. "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," Singh concludes.