The 18th BRICS Summit, held amidst global fragmentation, is crucial for India. It aims to advance its interests through resilient supply chains and national currency use in trade, navigating a disoriented global financial system. India seeks to make BRICS a useful forum for practical collaboration, strengthening its role as a voice for the Global South, not an anti-Western alliance. Key bilateral meetings, like Modi-Xi, offer opportunities to temper competition and broaden cooperation. A successful summit provides India more room for manoeuvre, fewer vulnerabilities, and sustained dialogue channels among members with shared and divergent interests.