Putin arrives in Delhi for BRICS summit; capital under tight security

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a three-day visit to attend the 18th BRICS Summit and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs K V Singh.

"Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. He said India and Russia share "multifaceted and longstanding ties" anchored in their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

Putin and Modi are scheduled to hold wide-ranging bilateral talks on Friday afternoon. The discussions are expected to cover defence, energy, technology, pharmaceuticals and people-to-people exchanges, besides ways to expand bilateral trade and investment.

The visit marks Putin's first in-person participation at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

The two-day summit, which begins on Saturday at Bharat Mandapam, is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in food, energy, health, disaster management and critical supply chains. India is positioning BRICS as an effective platform to navigate an increasingly fragmented geopolitical environment.

The summit is being held against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia crisis, including the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the trade and tariff policies of the Donald Trump administration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung are among the leaders attending the summit.

Delhi under tight security
Delhi has been placed on high alert ahead of the summit, with around 15,000 Delhi Police personnel, 200 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 500 CCTV cameras deployed across the capital.

Delhi Traffic Police said there would be no shutdown of the city, but commuters should expect temporary stoppages, diversions and restrictions along routes used by VVIP convoys.

More than 35 roads could be affected during the summit, including Mathura Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Shanti Path, Janpath, Ashoka Road, Barakhamba Road, Tolstoy Marg, Africa Avenue Road, Niti Marg, Panchsheel Marg and APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

The impact is expected to be significant for commuters travelling between Noida and central Delhi, east Delhi and central Delhi, and from Dwarka and west Delhi towards Dhaula Kuan, the airport and south Delhi.

Officials said the movement of foreign dignitaries could result in around 70-80 or more high-security movements across the city in a single day. Each movement would require separate traffic regulation, access restrictions and route coordination.

Nearly 4,800 traffic personnel have been deployed for the summit arrangements.

More than 500 CCTV cameras, including high-resolution cameras, facial recognition systems and vehicle number plate-reading cameras, will provide round-the-clock surveillance in the New Delhi zone.

The security arrangements cover the airport, hotels, Bharat Mandapam and other locations to be visited by the dignitaries. Enhanced access control, verification, intelligence gathering and emergency response mechanisms have also been put in place.

The Delhi Metro and city buses will continue to operate, although temporary restrictions, diversions or route curbs may be imposed depending on security requirements. Autos, taxis and app-based cabs will also operate, but access to restricted areas and pick-up and drop-off arrangements may be affected.

Authorities have advised candidates appearing for UPSC, NDA, CDS and other examinations to check their routes and examination centres in advance and leave early. People travelling for planned hospital appointments have also been advised to allow extra time.

Police have appealed to the public not to circulate unverified messages claiming that Delhi will be shut down or that there will be blanket road closures. Commuters have been advised to rely on official traffic updates.