Central government offices in Delhi and New Delhi will remain closed on Friday, September 11, 2026, as the national capital hosts the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit.
According to an official memorandum issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the decision has been taken in view of the scale of the summit, the extensive logistical arrangements involved and the need to minimise inconvenience to the public.
The BRICS Business Forum and the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit are scheduled to take place from September 11 to 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The high-level gathering is expected to bring together leaders from around 30 BRICS member and partner countries, along with heads of international organisations and business representatives from BRICS nations, including India.
The closure is also aimed at easing the impact of the extensive security and traffic arrangements expected across Delhi during the summit. September 11 falls on a Friday, while September 12 and 13 are Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The official order states that Central Government offices located in Delhi/New Delhi will remain closed on September 11, recognising the “magnitude of this event” and the substantial logistical arrangements required to host it.
The ministry has directed that the decision be communicated to all concerned.
India’s BRICS Chairship this year is being guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The theme reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First”.
During the summit, leaders will also discuss ways to strengthen intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual importance.
Under India’s chairship, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held across over 25 cities in the country. These engagements are aimed at strengthening the BRICS strategic partnership across its three key pillars — political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Through these meetings, along with business-to-business and people-to-people initiatives, India’s BRICS Chairship has sought to advance cooperation through practical and development-oriented outcomes.
India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously held the chairship three times, in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The country assumed its fourth BRICS Chairship on January 1, 2026.
The year 2026 also marks 20 years since the establishment of BRICS.
