Chidambaram Questions India’s Gains From BRICS
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has questioned whether India has secured tangible benefits from recent BRICS summits, triggering a sharp response from the BJP ahead of the 2026 leaders’ meeting in New Delhi.
Chidambaram Questions Recent BRICS Outcomes
Chidambaram said he could not identify clear benefits from the last two or three BRICS summits, contrasting them with earlier meetings that, in his view, produced more tangible outcomes.
He broadened his criticism to India’s participation in other major international groupings, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, G20 and Quad, asking what concrete advantages India was receiving from its membership and diplomatic engagement.
His remarks come as India prepares to host BRICS leaders in New Delhi on September 12-13.
BJP Hits Back at Congress Over BRICS Remarks
BJP president Nitin Nabin strongly criticised Chidambaram’s comments, accusing Congress leaders of being uncomfortable with India’s growing international profile.
Nabin argued that world leaders were increasingly looking towards India and said criticism of a major summit being hosted in New Delhi reflected the opposition’s broader approach towards the government’s foreign policy.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also targeted Chidambaram, questioning why senior global leaders would participate in the grouping if BRICS had no strategic value.
BRICS 2026 Focuses on Trade and Global Cooperation
The political exchange comes as India uses its BRICS presidency to push initiatives involving trade, digital payments, supply chains, technology, development finance and greater representation for emerging economies.
The expanded BRICS grouping now represents a substantial share of the world’s population, economic output and international trade.
However, internal political differences among members continue to raise questions about how effectively the bloc can translate its growing size into coordinated policy and measurable outcomes.
