With New Delhi preparing to host the BRICS Summit 2026 this weekend, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has questioned whether the grouping has delivered enough concrete benefits for India in recent years.
The former Union minister said he had not seen significant outcomes from the last two or three BRICS summits and also questioned the gains India has made from its participation in other international groupings.
Chidambaram questions BRICS outcomes
Speaking about the upcoming summit, Chidambaram pointed out that India is part of several major multilateral forums, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD.
"I don't know how many Presidents and how many Prime Ministers are coming. I don't think the last two or three BRICS summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results," Chidambaram told news agency ANI.
He said India needed to assess what it was gaining from its participation in these platforms.
"In fact, we are part of BRICS, we are part of SCO, we are part of G20, and we are part of QUAD. What benefits are we getting out of that? I can't see. In the last two or three summits, I didn't see any benefits. Earlier, the BRICS Summits resulted in some tangible benefits," he added.
BJP questions Congress' view of diplomacy
The remarks drew a response from the BJP, with senior leader Nalin Kohli questioning the Congress' approach to international diplomacy.
"This raises question on how Congress views diplomacy. The Congress during its tenure called Pakistan a victim of terror while it is a perpetrator of terrorism," Kohli said.
"Does Congress see diplomacy purely in terms of give and take that it is asking about tangible benefits," he further asked.
Kohli also accused the Congress of attempting to politicise an important international event.
India set to host BRICS summit
India will host the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The country assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026, with the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.
BRICS now has 11 members—Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are among the leaders expected to attend.
The grouping collectively represents around 49 per cent of the world's population and about 40 per cent of global GDP.