BRICS Summit 2026 sparks political debate as P Chidambaram questions India’s gains from the global grouping (Image: P Chidambaram Twitter)
New Delhi: A political debate has erupted ahead of the BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi after senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, P Chidambaram questioned whether India has gained any significant outcomes from recent BRICS meetings. The BJP responded sharply, accusing the Congress of viewing diplomacy only through the lens of immediate benefits. Chidambaram said India is part of several major international platforms, including BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD, but questioned what concrete advantages the country has achieved through these groupings.
Speaking about the upcoming BRICS summit, he said he had not witnessed any major results from the last few meetings and asked whether these forums had delivered meaningful outcomes for India.
Chidambaram said India's participation in global forums has increased, but the focus should remain on the actual benefits these platforms bring for the country. He pointed out that India is involved in multiple strategic and economic groupings, including BRICS, SCO, G20 and QUAD, but questioned whether these organisations have produced measurable gains. According to him, earlier BRICS meetings had resulted in some practical outcomes, but he did not see similar benefits emerging from the recent summits.
Reacting to Chidambaram’s comments, BJP launched an attack on the Congress and questioned its approach towards international relations. BJP leader Nalin Kohli said the remarks raised questions about how the Congress views diplomacy. He argued that foreign policy cannot always be measured only through direct gains or immediate returns. Kohli also accused the opposition party of politicising an important international event like BRICS summit.
The political exchange comes as India prepares to host the BRICS Summit 2026 in the national capital on September 12 and 13, 2026. India assumed the BRICS Chairship on January 1, 2026, with the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.'
The summit is expected to bring together several major global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
BRICS currently includes 11 major emerging and developing economies — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Several countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, participate as BRICS partner countries.
The grouping represents nearly half of the world’s population and accounts for a significant share of global economic output, making it an important platform in international diplomacy.
