New Delhi [India], January 13 (ANI): India on Tuesday officially took over the mantle of BRICS economic bloc, seeking to redefine its presidency of the 10-member grouping to tackle the changing global challenges, at a time when the world is battling geopolitical volatility.

On the eve of Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival celebrating new beginnings, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched the official website, theme and logo for India's BRICS 2026 presidency.

India had officially taken over the presidency from Brazil on January 1 this year and this is the fourth time that the country has assumed BRICS chairship after doing so in the years 2012, 2016, and during the challenging Covid time of 2021.

In a ceremony held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi today, Jaishankar said that the BRICS chairship will 'seek to bring together the potential of the member countries of the grouping to promote greater global welfare.'

In 2026, BRICS will complete 20 years of its inception, said that Foreign Minister, noting that during this time the grouping has 'evolved as a significant platform for cooperation for emerging markets and developing economies.'

The BRICS acronym is derived from the initial letters of the founding member countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia becoming full members of the forum later.

The logo of the summit during India's BRICS Chairmanship is the national flower of India - Lotus. The middle portion of logo depicts the salutation 'Namaste'. It was selected through an open contest launched by the Ministry of External Affairs on the Government's Citizen Engagement Platform.

Sudeep Subhash Gandhi whose submission was finally selected, said, 'As India is the host of 8th BRICS summit, we have incorporated the Indian salutation 'Namaste' in the centre. Namaste is the gesture of welcoming and respecting someone on arrival.'

'The overall logo depicts the national flower of India Lotus. The perception of the countrymen and the world towards India has changed in the last one and half years. As Lotus is the symbol of prosperity and India is heading in the same direction, we have designed Lotus with the colours signifying BRICS members and their unity,' Gandhi said.

The logo is accompanied by the tagline: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.'

Jaishankar said the theme underscores the importance of strengthening capacities, promoting innovation, and ensuring sustainable development for the benefit of all. Further, he said that the theme reflects India's belief that 'cooperation among BRICS members can help address shared challenges in a balanced and inclusive manner.'

'The logo that we unveiled today reflects this approach. It combines elements of tradition and modernity, and the petals incorporate the colours of all BRICS member countries, representing unity and diversity and a strong sense of shared purpose.'

'The logo conveys the idea that BRICS draws strength from the collective contributions of its members while respecting their distinct identities,' the EAM said.

The BRICS India website was also launched this morning and will serve as a common platform during India's chairship. 'It will provide information on meetings, initiatives, and outcomes, and will facilitate greater transparency and engagement. It will also help the timely dissemination of information throughout the year,' Jaishankar said.

EAM said that over the years, the BRICS has expanded its agenda and membership, responding to changing global realities while remaining focused on people-centric development, fostering dialogue and promoting practical cooperation.

He noted that in the current global environment of complex and interlinked challenges, geopolitical uncertainties, complicated economic landscapes, climate-related risks, technological changes and persistent development gaps continue to affect countries across regions.

'In this context, BRICS remains an important forum taking into account national priorities at different stages of development.'

India, the foreign minister said, approaches its chairship with a 'humanity-first and a people-centric approach,' inspired by the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The four broad priorities of India's chairship- resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. They will provide a coherent and balanced framework across the three foundational pillars of BRICS, political and security, economic and financial, and cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.

Under the resilience pillar, we will endeavour to build structural institutional strengths capable of weathering global shocks.

India, he said, intends to work with BRICS partners to build resilience in agriculture, in health, in disaster risk reduction, energy and supply chains, including through cooperative frameworks that enhance collective preparedness and response.

'Innovation remains a central driver of global economic development. The deployment of new and emerging technologies is essential to addressing socio-economic challenges, particularly those confronting developing countries, while maintaining a people-centric approach. Enhanced cooperation in areas such as start-ups, MSMEs, and new and emerging technologies can contribute meaningfully to building a more equitable world,' Jaishankar said.

'India attaches equal importance to cooperation and sustainability and will work to advancing climate action, promoting clean energy, and supporting sustainable development pathways in a manner that is fair and sensitive to our national circumstances,' he said.

The call for a reinvigorated, inclusive, and effective multilateral order has never been more urgent. BRICS must commit to a reformed multilateralism that reflects contemporary realities, one where institutions like the United Nations, the WTO, IMF, and the World Bank are representative and inclusive.

Founded by BRICS countries, the Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank (NDB), which was officially established in July 2015 at the 6th BRICS Summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil, has emerged as an important instrument of economic cooperation, promoting infrastructure and sustainable development of its member countries.

'India remains committed to supporting activities and efforts to further strengthen the bank as a credible, responsible, and financially sustainable institution,' Jaishankar said about the multilateral lender established or mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries.

'India views BRICS as a constructive platform for dialogue and development, complementing the broader multilateral system, guided by the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and consensus. India will seek to make its chairship inclusive, practical, people-centred, and outcome-oriented,' Jaishankar said. (ANI)