The BRICS Summit in New Delhi (Sept 12–13) wasn’t just about political speeches. From viral car rides to retro Bollywood tunes, here is a roundup of what everyone was talking about online and across the Capital:
Her photos showed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cutting a three-tiered Beatles cake for his birthday on September 13. Sheikh Khaled’s gesture comes days after another viral moment involving Russian President Vladimir Putin during his India on September 11. PM Narendra Modi personally drove and rode with Russian President Vladimir Putin to Bharat Mandapam in an armored vehicle. Louise Araneta-Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines, posted pictures from her stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim provided the main entertainment at the gala dinner. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is winning praise online after a video showed him thanking the Indian chauffeur who drove him to the airport before he left New Delhi, garnering 600k views. Sheikh Khaled was in the capital representing UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the 18th BRICS Summit. In the viral video, Sheikh Khaled is seen greeting dignitaries at the airport before turning back towards his car. He then shakes hands with the chauffeur and briefly speaks to him before leaving, with the gesture drawing praise from social media users for personally acknowledging the driver. A video of him warmly shaking hands with a flight attendant also went viral online, drawing attention as world leaders arrived in the capital for the summit.
The internet immediately named it “Carplomacy,” filling social feeds with “Get in, we’re building a multi-polar world” car memes. She posted a big “thank you” to the hotel staff and embassy team, along with pictures from her dinner at the iconic Bukhara restaurant inside ITC Maurya. He stepped up to perform Kishore Kumar’s 1965 song “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat” from the movie Teen Devian, bringing a fun Bollywood touch to the evening. The President landed in New Delhi, aboard a Russian Air Force Ilyushin IL-96-300PU state aircraft, nicknamed the “Flying Kremlin”.
