The BRICS Summit 2026 is happening in Delhi this year, and basically no one can ignore it. From big posters and banners at practically every major location in the city to buses and public transport being diverted onto permitted routes, the capital has been rearranged around the event between September 11 and 13.
Traffic has already started to pile up, with regular citizens stuck in heavy jams for hours, while restricted areas around the international airport, the hotels where dignitaries are staying, and several other locations and routes have been blocked to the public. Schools and government offices were also shut on Friday.
Private offices were advised to allow employees to work from home for the day. With the city going into something close to a lockdown, the hotels are rolling out the red carpet for some of the most powerful people in the world.
At the five-star hotels where the presidents and senior delegates are staying, guests are being welcomed with “friendship menus”, edible lotuses, and plenty more.
What Is The BRICS Summit?
The BRICS Summit 2026 will be held in New Delhi, India, on September 12 and 13.
The 18th edition will see a collection of high-profile diplomats from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE, along with other partner countries, in the country’s capital. The main events will take place at Bharat Mandapam.
The summit started with the founding of the international organisation called BRICS, named after its founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Over the years, the organisation has grown to include many other countries. The BRICS summit is held annually by one of the member nations, where some of the top officials, including heads of state, ministers, and others, discuss their positions on trade, technology, global governance, and multilateralism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi are among the leaders in attendance.
How Are Delhi Hotels Rolling Out The Red Carpet?
With more than a dozen of Delhi’s finest properties essentially transformed into temporary diplomatic residences, hotels have gone all out, not just on security, but on crafting an experience delegates will remember long after they’ve flown home. The most talked-about touch by far is a handcrafted, edible version of India’s national flower.
The Leela Palace New Delhi has created an edible lotus made with rose, saffron and cardamom, paired with indigenous Indian fruits, designed as a tribute to both India’s heritage and the BRICS India 2026 chairmanship.
It sits alongside a wider spread of regional specialities: Kashmiri spiced walnuts, galouti kebabs, millet cookies, handmade granola bars and wellness infusions are all part of the offering rolled out across the city’s top hotels.
The Leela Palace New Delhi’s general manager, Preeti Makhija, explained that the hotel leaned heavily on traditional Indian grains while designing its menus.
She said, “A key part of the guest experience curated by our culinary team is the exclusive in-room amenity… at its centre is an edible handcrafted lotus. The lotus carries multiple layers of significance as our national flower, and also reflects the identity of the BRICS Summit.
Crafted with delicate notes of rose, saffron, and cardamom and complemented by indigenous Indian fruits, it is accompanied by millet cookies, handmade granola bars, and a wellness infusion selection.”
Makhija further noted that the offerings had been “curated with Indian spices, with special mention of barley, millet, jowar and sattu,” and that dietary preferences shared by visiting delegations in advance shaped the final spread, according to comments she gave to ANI.
She also framed the exercise as a matter of national pride, calling it “a great showcase for India” and an opportunity to present Indian hospitality on the world stage, per the same ANI report.
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Executive Chef Kaushik Misra of Taj Mahal, New Delhi, has spent months building what is being called an “India Friendship Menu”, designed specifically for in-room dining and built around comfort-food classics from across the country, alongside dishes that echo the cuisines of the visiting delegations themselves.
Speaking to ANI, Misra said the menu “has been conceptualised keeping in mind various flavours of our own country: the spices, the herbs, the flowers,” and pointed to dishes like Nalli Nihari as part of the Delhi-inspired lineup.
Alongside the food itself, the hotel is presenting delegates with a curated recipe book, featuring recipes curated by Taj chefs and inspired by their own mothers, meant as a keepsake to carry home once the summit wraps up.
Dr Anmol Ahluwalia, Area Director – Operations and General Manager, Taj Mahal, New Delhi, said, “As a special gesture of welcome, we are privileged to present ‘Tradition to Table,’ a collection of recipes curated by Taj chefs and inspired by their earliest culinary mentors, their mothers. Reflecting the diversity and richness of India’s culinary legacy, this memento embodies the warmth, care, and spirit of connection that define the Taj experience.”
The hotel has also created savoury treats representing six regions, including Maharashtra’s bhakarwadi, Rajasthan’s mini kachori, Bengal’s kucho nimki and Tamil Nadu’s murukku.
ITC Maurya, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to be staying, has created an elaborate chocolate installation celebrating the India–Russia connection. It includes chocolate Matryoshka dolls, along with chocolate sculptures of Moscow and other major Russian architectural landmarks.
The scale of the hospitality push has had a very real effect on Delhi’s hotel market.
According to reports, more than 3,000 rooms across the capital’s premier luxury hotels have effectively been locked down for the summit, with nightly tariffs at elite properties crossing the Rs 2 lakh mark, room rates at some five-star properties climbing past Rs 2.5 lakh a night, and several hotels selling out entirely on official booking channels.
Separately, industry publication Travel And Tour World reported that Delhi hotel rates climbed by nearly 88% year-on-year during the peak arrival window, with Central Delhi and Aerocity facing the tightest room supply as VIPs, delegates, security teams and media crews all descended on the city at once.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: India Today, Business Today, Mint
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