After P. Chidambaram Questions BRICS Benefits, Shashi Tharoor Lists What India Gains

Ahead of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, a debate has emerged within the Congress over the practical benefits India receives from the grouping.

A day after senior Congress leader and former Union minister P. Chidambaram questioned the tangible outcomes of recent BRICS meetings, party colleague and MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted several diplomatic and strategic advantages of the grouping.

Shashi Tharoor Highlights BRICS’ Global Importance

Speaking ahead of the summit, Shashi Tharoor described BRICS as an important platform for the Global South.

He pointed out that the expanded grouping brings together 11 major countries representing a large share of the world's population and around 41% of global GDP.

According to Tharoor, the size and diversity of the grouping make BRICS an important forum that other countries cannot afford to ignore.

Hosting the Summit Is a Matter of Prestige

Tharoor also highlighted the significance of India hosting the BRICS Summit.

He said that bringing a large number of presidents and prime ministers to India demonstrates the country's diplomatic convening power—its ability to bring major countries together on one platform.

According to him, this diplomatic visibility has value for India on the global stage in itself.

But Tharoor Also Flagged Challenges

While highlighting the advantages, Tharoor acknowledged that BRICS also faces significant challenges.

One of the biggest problems is the difficulty of achieving consensus among member countries, particularly on sensitive international issues.

He pointed to the conflicts involving Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war, where BRICS foreign ministers were unable to agree on a joint declaration.

India, as the chair, had to issue a chair's declaration instead of an agreed joint statement.

Tharoor said that achieving convergence among countries with different strategic interests would remain a major challenge for Indian diplomats.

India’s Trade Imbalance Is Another Concern

Tharoor also raised concerns about India's trade relationship with BRICS countries.

He noted that while trade within the grouping has been increasing, the trend has not always been favourable for India.

According to him, India's exports to BRICS countries have declined while imports have increased, creating concerns over the country's trade balance.

This means that alongside the diplomatic benefits of BRICS, India also needs to focus on ensuring that economic engagement delivers greater advantages for the country.

What Did P. Chidambaram Say?

A day earlier, P. Chidambaram had questioned the “tangible benefits” India has received from recent BRICS summits.

He said he had not seen significant concrete outcomes from the previous two or three meetings.

Chidambaram also pointed out that India participates in several major multilateral organisations, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD, and questioned what concrete benefits India has gained from these platforms.

BJP Attacks Chidambaram

Chidambaram's comments drew a sharp response from the BJP.

The party mocked his criticism and accused him of failing to recognise India's growing global diplomatic influence.

The contrasting views from Chidambaram and Tharoor have therefore sparked an interesting debate: Is BRICS mainly a platform for diplomatic influence and global visibility, or should India demand more measurable economic and strategic gains from it?

As India hosts the BRICS Summit, the question of what the grouping delivers for the country is likely to remain an important part of the conversation.