NEW DELHI — A subtle divergence in strategic perspectives has emerged within the Indian National Congress regarding India’s participation in multilateral forums.
Responding to senior leader P. Chidambaram’s public questioning of the “tangible benefits” derived from recent BRICS summits, party MP and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor defended the grouping, citing its role in projecting India’s soft power and diplomatic clout across the Global South.
Differing Positions Within the Opposition
The exchange underscores two contrasting views on how India should evaluate its participation in multilateral frameworks like BRICS, SCO, G20, and QUAD:
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P. Chidambaram’s Critique: The former Union Finance Minister voiced skepticism over the concrete outcomes delivered by recent multilateral gatherings. Chidambaram argued that recent summits have produced few measurable economic or policy gains for India, questioning whether transactional value is being generated from these platforms.
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Shashi Tharoor’s Defense: Tharoor emphasized that hosting the expanded 11-member bloc—which represents a majority of the global population and 41% of global GDP—demonstrates India’s “diplomatic convening power.” He noted that convening heads of state and observer nations provides invaluable soft power and leadership equity for India within the Global South.
Core Challenges Highlighted by Tharoor
While defending the strategic value of hosting the summit, Tharoor also outlined ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges within the expanded grouping:
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Consensus Disagreements: Pointing to the May 2026 BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi—where diplomatic friction between Iran and the UAE over conflict in the Middle East prevented a joint declaration—Tharoor warned that bridging regional divides remains a primary test for Indian diplomats.
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Intra-BRICS Trade Deficits: Tharoor flagged growing trade imbalances within the bloc as an ongoing economic hurdle, pointing out that Indian imports from member nations continue to outpace its exports.
Political observers note that while Chidambaram’s comments focused on transactional economic metrics, Tharoor’s appraisal prioritized geopolitical positioning and multilateral leadership as key dividends for New Delhi.
