'Not a small matter': Shashi Tharoor on BRICS 2026 after P Chidambaram questions 'tangible benefits'

After Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned the “tangible benefits” of the BRICS 2026 summit, his colleague Shashi Tharoor offered a different view. He said on Friday that India, which is hosting this year’s BRICS, provides an important platform for the Global South.

“You know, the Global South has more than 100 countries, but here we have 11 key players from the Global South who collectively represent a large part of the diversity of opinion, as well as a number of countries that we are essentially presiding over on this occasion,” Tharoor told PTI on Friday.

He said the fact that the group of 11 BRICS countries accounted for the majority of the world’s population and 41 percent of global GDP was “no small matter.”

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Hosting the 2026 BRICS Summit provides India with a significant platform for the Global South, elevates its global diplomatic standing and enables discussions that represent diverse views from key economies.

P. Chidambaram expressed concern over the lack of tangible gains from previous BRICS summits, suggesting that the results have not translated into tangible benefits for India or its diplomatic efforts.

The BRICS group represents the majority of the world’s population and accounts for approximately 41% of global GDP, indicating its significant economic and political influence.

Shashi Tharoor points out that India’s role in hosting the BRICS summit is crucial in showcasing its diplomatic power and representing the diverse interests of the Global South on the global stage.

Shashi Tharoor acknowledged the importance of the BRICS platform for global representation, contrasting P. Chidambaram’s skepticism about the tangible benefits of such summits.

“It’s not a small thing, it’s something the rest of the world needs to take very seriously,” he said.

Tharoor added that having a dozen heads of state and government, “not only BRICS members but also some observers at the presidential and ministerial level, is a matter of great prestige for us”.

“It shows a certain diplomatic convening power that has value in itself on the global stage,” Shashi Tharoor said.

Tharoor’s remarks differed from what Chidamabram had given earlier this week.

What did P Chidamabaram say?

On Wednesday, Chidambaram questioned the “tangible benefits or tangible results” of the BRICS summit.

He sparked controversy when he told ANI, “I don’t know how many presidents and how many prime ministers will come. I don’t think the last two or three BRICS summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results.”

“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 do we get from it? I don’t see. I have not seen any benefits in the last two or three summits. Earlier BRICS summits have brought some tangible benefits…,” Chidambaram said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid on Thursday said that India’s BRICS representation should reflect the entire country and not just the Union government and urged the Center to include the opposition in consultations as India hosts the 18th BRICS summit.

“We in the opposition feel that this is a representation of not just the government but the whole of India – including the opposition. So we have to be properly represented. If they consult us, it would be even better. But that is not their policy. But we have to make our expectations clear,” he told ANI.

“Suddenly Morning”

Following Chidamabaram’s comments, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders questioned the Congress’s approach to diplomacy, likening the opposition’s mindset to “all of a sudden fufa”.

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that the opposition camp is driven by a deep-rooted “Fear Of Missing Out” (FOMO). “If you watch the Congress today, when you see the BRICS summit being held in India, they are opposing it like ‘all of a sudden’. It’s because the Congress knows that whenever the country is prosperous, whenever it means boosting India’s pride, the Congress party will always oppose it,” he said.

“Senior Congress leaders are beginning to realize that they may never see (Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister in their lifetime, nor that the Congress will ever get an opportunity to host the BRICS Summit. The Congress is experiencing FOMO,” he added.