On September 11, 2026, central government offices in Delhi and New Delhi will be closed. This closure is in anticipation of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, which will take place in the national capital on that day. The summit will bring together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to discuss key global issues.
Delhi Government Declares Holiday Amid Major Event
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions announced on Thursday that September 11 will be a public holiday for all government offices, autonomous bodies, and public sector undertakings in Delhi. This decision comes in light of the significant logistical arrangements required for an upcoming major event and aims to minimize disruption for the public. The Delhi government had previously issued a similar declaration regarding the holiday.
The BRICS Business Forum and the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit will be held from September 11 to 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The summit is expected to be attended by leaders from around 30 BRICS member and partner countries, heads of international organisations and business representatives from BRICS nations, including India. The closure on September 11 is also expected to help ease the impact of the extensive security and traffic arrangements that will be put in place across the capital during the high-level event. September 12 and 13 fall on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Under India’s chairship, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held in over 25 cities, aimed at strengthening cooperation across BRICS’ political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people pillars. India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously held the chairship in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The 2026 chairship is India’s fourth and coincides with BRICS completing 20 years since its establishment.
India assumed the BRICS chairship for 2026 on January 1, with the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting its stated focus on a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First”.
