World
India Hosts 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi Amid Tight Security and High-Profile Arrivals
New Delhi is hosting the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders from member nations, partner countries, and outreach invitees to discuss global governance, multilateralism, trade, investment, technology, food and energy security, health, disaster resilience, and critical supply chains. The summit will also address ongoing geopolitical conflicts and disruptions affecting global trade and energy routes.
The two-day event opens on Saturday, September 12, with a closed-door session at 2:35 pm focused on "Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism." Leaders will then tour the Bharat Innovates Exhibition at 4:25 pm, followed by a group photograph and tree-planting ceremony at 5:05 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a gala dinner for attending leaders at 7:30 pm that evening.
On Sunday, September 13, leaders will begin arriving at 9:55 am, with an official group photo set for 10:35 am. The main open session, themed "Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth," will start at 10:50 am. The summit will wrap up with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration.
To manage the influx of foreign dignitaries, Delhi has implemented extensive security measures. Approximately 15,000 Delhi Police officers and 200 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed, alongside 500 CCTV cameras installed at key locations for continuous monitoring. Security is especially stringent near the diplomatic enclave and hotels housing visiting leaders, with China, Russia, and Iran each assigned separate accommodations and accompanied by their own security teams.
Additional restrictions include a ban by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on certain flying activities across seven northern states, as well as a prohibition on light aircraft, micro-light planes, UAVs, and similar aerial vehicles within a 300-km radius of Delhi for 52 hours starting Friday. Traffic and public movement near summit venues will be regulated, and New Delhi railway station will see altered train schedules, including cancellations, diversions, and rescheduling during the event. Roughly 1,200 to 1,300 journalists are expected to cover the summit, which is centered at the Bharat Mandapam venue.
Among the earliest arrivals was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who landed at Air Force Station Palam early on September 11, ahead of a scheduled meeting with PM Modi. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to arrive at Palam at 2 pm the same day, with a meeting with Modi planned for the evening.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to land at 12:25 pm on September 12, marking his first visit to India in seven years. He and PM Modi are expected to hold bilateral talks at 6 pm that day.
Other notable attendees include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Additional arrivals on September 10 included Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, all arriving at designated terminals across the day.