New Delhi, Sept. 9 -- The 18th BRICS summit, being hosted by India on 12-13 September, comes at a crucial geopolitical moment. The bloc has expanded, positioning itself as a multipolar alternative to Western-dominated institutions, giving it greater economic weight and a broader claim to represent the Global South. However, its size also brings a new challenge: internal rivalries. With more geopolitical competitors now sitting around the same table, the summit this year will test the limits of the global bloc as well as how it brings consensus amid deep divisions within its own ranks.

What was originally a group of five nations has now expanded to 11, with Indonesia being the latest addition. Adding to its economic strength, the Bloc now...