Tharoor cites BRICS divisions ahead of New Delhi summit

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the September 12–13 BRICS summit in New Delhi will test India’s ability to convene a grouping with significant differences among its members.

Tharoor said the 11-member bloc represented a majority of the world’s population and 41% of global GDP, making it an important platform for countries of the Global South. Hosting heads of state, government leaders and observers, he said, carried international value for India.

He also pointed to divisions within BRICS. At a foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi in May, members did not agree on a joint declaration on the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India, as chair, issued a chair’s declaration instead. Tharoor said diplomats would face the challenge of finding common ground at the summit.

Tharoor said India’s exports to BRICS countries had declined while imports had risen. Former Union minister P Chidambaram had also questioned the tangible gains from recent BRICS meetings.

Delhi has prepared for the gathering with a public holiday and traffic curbs.