New Delhi, September 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Senior Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has defended party colleague P. Chidambaram’s remarks questioning the tangible benefits of the BRICS Summit, saying the former Finance Minister was only stressing the need for the grouping to produce concrete results.
Chidambaram had recently questioned the economic and strategic gains India had derived from its participation in BRICS, saying he had not seen significant outcomes emerging from the bloc’s recent meetings. His remarks triggered a political controversy.
Speaking to IANS, Khurshid described Chidambaram as a “very learned and deeply experienced” leader and said his comments should be understood in the context of his expectation that international discussions should lead to tangible action.
“He has a way of saying things. He understands very well the decisions and discussions that take place at the international level. What he is saying is that something concrete ought to come out of it. That is what he is pointing out,” Khurshid said.
Khurshid said he shared the view that the BRICS Summit should result in concrete work, arguing that there should be little disagreement over such an expectation.
“Even when I am asked what is significant about this BRICS Summit, I also say the same thing: that some concrete work should get done,” he said.
He suggested that areas for such action could include climate change, sustainability and supply chains. He also said BRICS could contribute to efforts aimed at ending ongoing wars and developing mechanisms to prevent future conflicts.
“If Mr Chidambaram has signalled that enough talk has happened and now concrete actions need to be demonstrated, then that should be welcomed,” Khurshid said.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor defended the relevance of BRICS, describing it as an important platform for the Global South and highlighting India’s diplomatic convening power.
Ahead of the summit, Tharoor pointed to the significance of the grouping of 11 countries, which represents a substantial share of the world’s population and global economy. He also said hosting the summit was a matter of prestige for India, with the participation of heads of state and government from member countries and observers demonstrating New Delhi’s ability to bring major global players together.
“It shows a certain diplomatic convening power which has value in and of itself on the global stage,” Tharoor said.
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