India, Sept. 12 -- As global trade disputes and geopolitical upheavals unleash economic headwinds, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders from BRICS nations will gather on Saturday for the India-hosted summit to navigate global challenges, including insulating developing economies from the impact of conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia.

In a strategic balancing act, New Delhi is looking at leveraging the two-day annual summit to position the grouping as a complementary engine for economic growth while being mindful of sensitivities of the United States and other Western powers, especially in the trade and energy domains.

As the BRICS chair, India has placed the Globa...