'Even a day's loss hits us': Roadside vendors, hawkers asked to not open along BRICS route
Roadside vendors in Delhi are facing significant financial hardship after being ordered to close their stalls for several days due to security measures for the BRICS Summit. Many workers rely on daily wages and are struggling to cope with the loss of income during this period.
Why it matters
The article highlights the tension between high-level international diplomatic events and the economic survival of local informal workers.
For Suraj Kumar (33), three days of BRICS Summit means many more days of no work. The vendor, who comes to Connaught Place from Narela, gets paid ₹500 a day from the stall owner, but since Monday (September 7, 2026) he has been able to put up only half of his stall after Delhi Police personnel asked some vendors in Janpath to keep their roadside shops closed till Sunday (September 13).
“The owner is paying me now only ₹250, and till the next three days I won't even get that,” he said.
Suraj is among several roadside vendors and hawkers along the routes identified for VIP movements and stays during BRICS Summit, with the Delhi Police verbally asking hawkers and street vendors along parts of the routes linked to the summit to remain closed from September 11 to 13 for security reasons.
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