P Chidambaram Questions India’s BRICS Gains; BJP Challenges Congress Leader

As New Delhi prepares to host the BRICS Summit 2026, senior Congress leader.

And Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has questioned the tangible gains India has secured from recent BRICS meetings, prompting a sharp response from the BJP. The former Union minister said he had not seen any significant outcomes from the last two or three BRICS summits and questioned the practical benefits India derives from its membership of major international groupings.

Chidambaram Questions India’s BRICS Gains

Speaking about the upcoming summit in Delhi, Chidambaram noted that India is part of several prominent multilateral forums, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD.

However, he questioned whether these platforms had delivered meaningful results for India.

“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 added that while India had previously secured tangible outcomes through BRICS summits, he had not seen comparable benefits from the more recent meetings.

“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 said.

BJP Hits Back At Congress Leader

The BJP quickly responded to Chidambaram’s remarks, questioning the Congress party’s approach to diplomacy. Senior BJP leader Nalin Kohli asked whether the Congress views international diplomacy primarily through the lens of immediate and measurable “give and take”.

“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 added.

Kohli also accused the Congress of attempting to politicise an important international event.

India To Host BRICS Summit On September 12-13

Chidambaram’s comments come as preparations intensify in the national capital for the BRICS Summit 2026. Civic and infrastructure agencies have stepped up arrangements ahead of the arrival of several world leaders. India will host the summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026. The country assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

The grouping currently comprises 11 major emerging and developing economies: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam participate as BRICS partner countries.

Xi, Putin, Pezeshkian Among Leaders Expected

The summit is expected to bring several prominent world leaders to New Delhi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are among the leaders expected to attend the high-profile meeting.

The expanded BRICS grouping represents roughly 49% of the world’s population and around 40% of global GDP, making the New Delhi summit significant amid shifting geopolitical and economic alignments.