India, Sept. 11 -- The national capital has been transformed into a tightly controlled security fortress ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, with nearly 30,000 personnel deployed across airports, hotels and the sprawling Bharat Mandapam complex as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian prepare to arrive. Security teams from China and Russia are already on the ground.

In the luxury hotels located in Chanakyapuri, where the leaders will be lodging, security teams have been placed and armed with specialised equipment and weapons. Personnel are stationed on all floors, from the presidential suites to the roof levels and the ground floor. The routes for the convoys have been determin...