# BRICS Leaders Gather in New Delhi as Road Closures and Evictions Anger Residents

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are due at the two-day summit that ends with a New Delhi Declaration, while a protocol dispute with Bangladesh has already surfaced.

- Published: 2026-09-11T05:17:40.652Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-09-11/brics-leaders-gather-in-new-delhi-as-road-closures-and-evict
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/11/brics-red-carpet-sparks-anger-in-indias-capital), [BBC News Hindi](https://www.bbc.com/hindi/articles/crm9ex2397zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss), [The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-german-chancellor-merz-reaffirm-commitment-to-strengthen-cooperation/article71454626.ece)

India hosts the eighteenth summit of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and the members added since) on September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. [Business Standard reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the leaders attending](https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/brics-summit-2026-list-of-leaders-who-are-attending-what-s-on-agenda-and-india-s-role-126090800454_1.html), alongside the presidents of Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and Ethiopia, with the agenda covering trade, technology, energy and food security and reform of global institutions.

The preparations have imposed real costs on the host city. [Al Jazeera reported that blocked roads, evictions and movement restrictions have caused anger in New Delhi](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/11/brics-red-carpet-sparks-anger-in-indias-capital) as the government clears the way for visiting delegations.

A dispute over status has also emerged. [BBC News Hindi reported that Bangladesh said India did not invite Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in his capacity as prime minister](https://www.bbc.com/hindi/articles/crm9ex2397zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss), a disagreement over the terms of the invitation rather than its existence.

India is balancing the summit against its Western relationships at the same time. [The Hindu reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by telephone and agreed to keep working closely on global stability](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-german-chancellor-merz-reaffirm-commitment-to-strengthen-cooperation/article71454626.ece). That is the position New Delhi wants: chair of a bloc that Western governments watch with suspicion, and a partner those same governments continue to call.

## What this means

The value of this summit for investors sits in what the New Delhi Declaration says about settling trade in national currencies and about reforming the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, because those are the channels through which the group can actually reduce demand for dollar clearing. Hosting Putin and Xi while maintaining ties to Berlin reflects India's strategy of drawing benefits from both blocs without accepting either one's discipline. Either the declaration produces concrete payment infrastructure commitments, which would matter for correspondent banking and commodity settlement, or it repeats prior language on reform, in which case the bloc remains a diplomatic signal rather than a monetary one.

## What to watch

- Whether the New Delhi Declaration commits to specific local-currency settlement or cross-border payment infrastructure rather than restating support for reform in general terms.
- Any announcement on expanding membership or partner status, which would show how fast the group is growing relative to its ability to agree on anything.
- Whether Washington responds with tariff or sanctions threats against participants, the test of how much cost the United States is willing to impose to slow the bloc's consolidation.