Strategic Autonomy in Motion as India Hosts BRICS Summit; Delhi Luxury Hotels Face Room Crunch, Tariffs Soar
New Delhi is preparing to host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 12-13, with Bharat Mandapam set to become the centre of high-level diplomatic activity. India, which holds the BRICS chairship in 2026, is seeking to use the summit to strengthen its role as a leading voice of the Global South.
The summit comes at an important moment for India’s foreign policy. New Delhi is expected to push for greater representation of emerging economies in institutions such as the United Nations, IMF and World Bank while promoting a more multipolar global order.
India’s approach reflects its long-standing emphasis on strategic autonomy. While remaining engaged with Western partners through platforms such as the G20 and Quad, New Delhi continues to maintain close economic and diplomatic relationships with BRICS members including Russia and China.
The expanded BRICS grouping now includes 11 members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with Indonesia — as well as partner countries. The larger membership gives India a wider platform for engagement with emerging economies across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Economic cooperation is expected to be another major focus. India is seeking progress on trade, technology, digital finance, resilient supply chains, infrastructure financing and sustainable development, rather than allowing BRICS to be defined simply as an opposing bloc to the West.
The diplomatic significance of the summit is already being reflected in Delhi’s hospitality sector. Luxury hotels across the capital are facing a severe shortage of rooms as delegations, officials, security personnel, business representatives and other visitors arrive ahead of the two-day gathering.
Several prominent hotels are reporting little or no availability around the summit dates. Taj Mahal and The Oberoi New Delhi were showing no availability for September 11-12, while Taj Palace was fully booked for September 10-12. The Leela Palace was also not accepting bookings for September 10-12.
At ITC Maurya, rooms available for September 10-13 were reportedly starting at more than ₹2.3 lakh per night. Other reports have also indicated that some luxury suites in Delhi are being quoted at several lakh rupees a night as demand peaks.
The surge is being driven by a sharp concentration of demand over a limited period. Delegates and visitors are arriving before the summit and extending their stays, putting additional pressure on the already limited supply of premium rooms in central Delhi.
Travel platforms have also recorded a substantial increase in interest. Ixigo reported that searches for five-star hotels in Delhi had risen by around 50%, while some hotel rates had increased by more than 100% week-on-week. Available rooms were reportedly ranging from around ₹1 lakh to ₹2.4 lakh per night during peak dates.
The impact is extending beyond luxury hotels. With central Delhi properties heavily booked or charging premium rates, some tourists and business travellers are being pushed towards hotels in Gurgaon and other parts of the NCR.
Hotel industry representatives say the surge also highlights a broader challenge for India’s ambitions as a major destination for international conferences and diplomatic events. The country currently has only around 200,000-220,000 branded hotel rooms, according to the Hotel Association of India, limiting the ability of major cities to absorb sudden international demand.
For India, therefore, the BRICS summit represents two parallel stories: a major diplomatic opportunity to advance its strategic autonomy and Global South agenda, and a high-profile test of New Delhi’s ability to accommodate the infrastructure, security and hospitality demands that accompany its growing role on the world stage.
