Shashi Tharoor Defends BRICS Relevance, Highlights India’s Diplomatic Power

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has defended relevance of the BRICS summit, saying the grouping provides an important platform for the Global South and demonstrates India's diplomatic convening power after senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has gained from the bloc, according to a report. Speaking ahead of the BRICS summit, Tharoor said the grouping of 11 countries represented a significant share of the world's population and global economy, NDTV reported. "The Global South is over 100 countries but here we have 11 key players from the Global South who collectively represent much of the diversity of views," Tharoor said.

The BRICS countries represent a majority of the world's population and 41 per cent of global GDP, he said. He added that the grouping was something that has to be taken very seriously by the rest of the world. Tharoor 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 the country'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," he said. His comments came after Chidambaram questioned the tangible economic and strategic benefits India had derived from its participation in BRICS. The two-day 18th BRICS Summit will begin here on September 12. The summit will bring together eleven major emerging and developing economies, including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE.

The theme of India’s Chairship 2026 is Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The event being convened by the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI) aimed at creating a direct platform for sovereign capital to connect with bankable projects in infrastructure, energy and digital capacity across the 21 BRICS member states and partner nations.

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