India’s Grand Welcome: How Delhi’s Iconic Hotels Became Diplomatic Addresses for BRICS 2026

Source: Times of India | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 10:20:00 UTC

Key Points

• The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, under India's chairship, with the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
• Delhi’s luxury hotels, including Taj Palace, ITC Maurya, The Oberoi, The Leela Palace and The Lalit, served as temporary diplomatic addresses for heads of state, ministers and large delegations.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping stayed at Taj Palace, Russian President Vladimir Putin at ITC Maurya, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at The Oberoi, and South Africa’s delegation at The Lalit.
• Hotels prepared personalised hospitality gestures such as rice-grain keepsakes, recipe books, chocolate Matryoshka dolls, regional Indian menus, cultural performances and traditional welcome rituals.
• Delhi deployed around 25,000 security personnel, more than 100 NSG commandos and anti-drone systems, with 11 hotels and 35 major routes placed under special security arrangements.
• The summit sharply increased demand for luxury accommodation, with some room rates reported above Rs 2 lakh a night and several major hotels showing no availability.
• BRICS now has 11 full members and, according to the Indian government, represents about 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade.