THE 18TH BRICS SUMMIT 2026 started in India, with New Delhi hosting world leaders on September 12 and 13, 2026. The event commenced today at Bharat Mandapam, with tight security provided by Delhi Police officials and paramilitary personnel. Many CCTV cameras have also been deployed across the national capital. Schools and Delhi government offices will remain closed from September 11 to September 13, 2026, while private offices and Delhi Metro services will operate with some restrictions.
Amid the summit, many things have changed in Delhi. A few days before the summit, changes could be seen across the national capital, including improved cleanliness on the roads. People living in Delhi will also have to face some inconveniences from September 11 to 13, 2026, as world leaders arrive in the country. These could include traffic problems, which are already bad and may become worse, as well as the cancellation or diversion of Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) trains and many other issues.
Delhi Traffic Police posted the traffic restrictions across different routes in Delhi. To regulate traffic, there will be 22 identified diversion points during the motorcade rehearsals and VVIP movements in the area. Emergency and essential service vehicles will be given priority. More than 35 roads will be affected during the summit, including Mathura Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Shanti Path, Janpath, Ashoka Road, Barakhamba Road, Tolstoy Marg, etc.
The commuters traveling from these regions are advised to plan their journeys accordingly, and try to use public transport like the Metro for travelling. Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghosh made a post on X highlighting that the traffic was so bad because of the restrictions that she was stuck for two hours. She also alleged that New Delhi has hosted summits for decades, but “never have citizens been so harassed, inconvenienced, pushed around.” Other than this, the Delhi Metro and Buses might also see some restrictions, including the closure of the Delhi Metro Museum and the diversions of buses across summit routes.
All the schools, including government schools, government-aided schools, and recognized unaided private schools under the Delhi Directorate of Education, will remain closed during the BRICS Summit. September 11, 2026, was also declared a public holiday for people in Delhi by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, while banks remained open as the Reserve Bank of India did not declare it as a holiday.
Other than this, Delhi government offices and other public sector undertakings that work under the Delhi government will remain closed on the summit days. Companies have also been advised to work from home wherever possible.
Another concern was the curtains that were used to hide the slums, which netizens criticized. While this practice is not new and has been in place since the 2023 G20 Summit, people questioned why this was being done if the economy is growing. The areas that were covered included Vasant Vihar’s Coolie Camp area, to shield the delegates from seeing the slums.
The curtains were white and blue striped and were used to cover the slums, with a video of them going viral on social media. Other than this, big screens and green covers were also placed to block the view of slums and unauthorised settlements along the delegates’ routes. People on social media are saying that covering up slum areas shows how the government is covering up their problems instead of actually solving them. Many also highlighted the earlier discussed 7.8% GDP claims in this context, pointing out that while the GDP is growing, the national capital is being draped in curtains.
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For street vendors, the BRICS Summit has become a nightmare as they are not allowed to open their shops along the BRICS route. While the shops and outlets will continue to work as it is, roadside street vendors and hawkers will have to keep their businesses shut for three days. In major areas from which the delegates will travel, street vendors, homeless, beggars etc. were removed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Police.
The Hindu quoted the New Delhi Traders’ Association as saying that the CP market will remain open, but people should follow the traffic restrictions. The Janpath Traders Association also said that the shops will remain open in the Janpath market. While some shop owners said that they had to close their shops, others said that they did not receive any instructions to close them.
The train services in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) will be affected because of the BRICS Summit from September 11 to 13, 2026. Northern Railways has issued its plans for these days, highlighting that several Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) services will be cancelled. Along with this, a number of trains will be diverted from their usual routes, some trains will start their journeys from stations other than their usual terminals, and many others will be delayed because of diversions and other restrictions.
Passengers are advised to check the operating plans of the trains, which may have changed. All those who are travelling in Delhi-NCR during this time should ensure that they check the latest travel status to prevent any further inconvenience during their journey. They can check updates through the National Train Enquiry System or by calling the Railways helpline at 139. These changes will be in place to manage train operations around Delhi and ensure the movement of diverted services during the summit.
(Edited by Agniva Ray)
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