World leaders arrive in New Delhi as India prepares for expanded 18th BRICS summit
The 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit is set to be hosted in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with the bloc now comprising eleven full members. Leaders from Russia, China and Iran have touched down in the capital to begin bilateral talks ahead of the summit, while other heads of state are expected to arrive over the weekend. Delhi has announced traffic restrictions on key roads and deployed thousands of police officers to manage movement and secure VVIP motorcades.
The city is also undergoing visual upgrades, including decorative lighting, LED signage and floral displays along the summit routes. The summit agenda includes discussions on reforming international institutions, multilateral cooperation and the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 30h later
- Coverage peaked at 7 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
The gathering will shape how the enlarged BRICS bloc responds to major global conflicts and economic challenges.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTAll camps report that the BRICS summit is convening in New Delhi with leaders such as Putin, Xi and Iran’s president attending, but left-leaning coverage highlights India’s domestic preparations and diplomatic balancing, right-leaning coverage foregrounds the wars and geopolitical tensions shaping the summit, while centrist coverage sticks to a neutral description of the agenda and finance initiatives.
LEFT
Covers the summit as a showcase of India’s elaborate security and visual preparations while portraying Delhi’s role as a diplomatic tightrope between China, Russia and the West.
CENTER
Frames the summit as a routine high-level diplomatic gathering focused on institutional reforms, economic cooperation and multilateral finance.
RIGHT
Frames the summit as a test of the bloc amid escalating wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, emphasizing strategic tensions and India’s balancing act.
The left emphasises
- India’s “tightrope walk” between China, Russia and the West
- heightened security with 15,000 police and traffic limits
- decorative lighting, flowers and a visual overhaul of central Delhi
The right emphasises
- summit “dominated by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East”
- leaders arriving amid “escalating global tensions”
- India’s effort to balance ties with China and Russia against growing partnerships with the US and other Western powers
How this story developed
- Sep 4 India Hosts 2026 BRICS Leaders Summit with Global Leaders in New Delhi
- Sep 9 A bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin has been added to the summit agenda.
- Sep 9 India is positioning the summit as a development‑oriented bridge and has set aside the idea of a shared BRICS currency.
- Sep 10 India’s chairmanship delivered 20 sector‑specific agreements on SMEs, startups and supply‑chain resilience.
- Sep 10 Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the summit, marking his first visit to India since 2019.
- Sep 10 India deploys roughly 25,000 security personnel and implements traffic diversions ahead of the summit.
- Sep 11 Delhi traffic to be rerouted from 2 pm to 8:30 pm on Friday for the BRICS summit.
- Sep 11 Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian touched down in New Delhi for bilateral talks ahead of the summit.
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