New Delhi, September 12, 2026: The Congress on Saturday welcomed BRICS’s growing influence but urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use India’s chairmanship of the grouping to restore the country’s diplomatic
space and stature among Global South nations. It said declarations of solidarity must be backed by “consistent, consequential action”.
In a statement, Salman Khurshid, chairperson of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Foreign Affairs department, said the government must address concerns over what the party described as the perceived endorsement of attacks on BRICS member Iran.
He also criticised the BJP government’s limited diplomatic role in the ongoing West Asia war, including what he called its unwillingness to forge consensus among BRICS members, and its inadequate support for founding member South Africa when it faced diplomatic pressure.
Rebuilding Global South Trust
“The BJP government must therefore take deliberate steps to rebuild confidence among partners in the Global South by demonstrating that India remains a credible and constructive partner, even in times of crisis,” Khurshid said.
The Congress said India should provide BRICS with “moral leadership and strategic clarity” while protecting its national and economic interests. The party’s argument is that India’s leadership of the grouping offers New Delhi an opportunity not merely to assert its strategic interests, but also to strengthen its credibility among developing countries.
Trade Imbalance In Focus
The party also raised concerns over India’s “deeply imbalanced” trade relationship with BRICS countries, which collectively account for 19.6 per cent of global merchandise trade. While acknowledging efforts on the BRICS Pay System, it called on the government to use India’s chairmanship to pursue a more mutually beneficial trading relationship.
The Congress said this should include greater market access for Indian goods and services, action on non-tariff and other market barriers, and fair and predictable conditions for Indian enterprises seeking to compete and expand in BRICS nations, TNIE reports.
Supply Chains And Financial Safety Net
The party called for an agreement among BRICS members on securing supply chains and promoting inclusive connectivity. It also sought efforts to operationalise the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, established in 2014, to which India has pledged $18 billion.
Invoking former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress said India should combine its pursuit of strategic rise with support for sovereign equality, peaceful coexistence, human dignity and a rules-based international order.
It pointed to India’s mediation during the Korean War, its principled positions in West Asia, campaigns against apartheid in South Africa, support for decolonisation and advocacy for reforms in global governance institutions as examples of the country’s earlier moral leadership.
Call For Statesmanship
The Congress urged the government to use the BRICS summit to exercise statesmanship by building solidarity among members without allowing the grouping to become entangled in bloc politics.
“It should deepen South-South cooperation and make the function as a stabilising forum in a fragmented international system; to work together to address deficiencies in global institutions; and to demonstrate that strategic autonomy can coexist with constructive and consequential multilateralism,” the party said.
India As A Global Bridge
The Congress said India must demonstrate that it is strong enough to advance its interests, principled enough to stand with countries seeking a fairer world and trusted enough to serve as a credible bridge between the Global South and Global North.
Also Watch:
It also called on the government to pursue commitments made during India’s previous BRICS chairmanship in 2021 and seek firm backing from member countries for India’s claim to permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
