India has launched a comprehensive security deployment across the host city ahead of the Brics 2026 summit, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to make his first visit since 2019. The scale of the operation reflects both the logistical demands of hosting a major multilateral gathering and the sensitive geopolitical context surrounding Delhi-Beijing relations.
The security arrangements involve multiple agencies, including the National Security Guard, local police forces, and specialized counter-terrorism units. Perimeter zones have been established around key venues, hotels, and diplomatic compounds, with checks at multiple checkpoints. Airspace restrictions are expected to be imposed during the summit period, and heavy surveillance coverage has been set up along major routes that delegations will use.
The last time Xi Jinping visited India was in 2019, when he attended the Brics summit in Kishangarh, Rajasthan. Since then, relations between the two Asian powers have remained deeply strained following the deadly clash along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh in June 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides and triggered a prolonged military standoff. Multiple rounds of commander-level and diplomatic talks have taken place since, but a full normalization of ties remains elusive.
Diplomatic sources indicate that India is approaching the summit with a calibrated posture — willing to engage on multilateral platforms while maintaining a firm stance on border issues. Analysts suggest that Xi's decision to attend in person signals Beijing's interest in keeping channels open at the Brics table, where both countries sit as leading members, even as they remain locked in a decades-long territorial dispute.
The Brics grouping, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa and later expanded to include several new members, serves as one of the few regular multilateral forums where Indian and Chinese leaders meet face to face. The summit is expected to draw heads of state from across the Global South, making it a significant event on India's diplomatic calendar regardless of the bilateral backdrop.
