Archive · 13 Sep 2026
BRICS Vegetarian Gala Reignites Debate Over Food And Diplomacy
India served world leaders an all-vegetarian dinner at the 2026 BRICS gala.
The meal included paneer, mushrooms, millet dishes and Indian desserts.
Some people online guessed that Xi Jinping skipped the dinner because it had no meat.
However, people familiar with the matter said he was tired after a long flight and a busy day.
There is no credible evidence that the menu caused his absence.
The dinner started a larger discussion about whether India’s food should be represented with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
India also served an all-vegetarian menu at the 2023 G20 dinner.
But an earlier 2019 meeting between Narendra Modi and Xi included chicken, mutton and seafood.
The September 12, 2026, BRICS gala at Bharat Mandapam served an entirely vegetarian, millet-forward menu.
Dishes included paneer lababdar, millet pulao, mushroom galouti, khandvi mille-feuille and jalebi with Old Delhi fruit cream.
Social media users speculated that Xi Jinping skipped the dinner because of the vegetarian menu, but no credible evidence supports that claim.
People familiar with the matter said Xi missed the dinner because he was tired after a long flight and a busy day of meetings.
India’s 2023 G20 dinner was also all-vegetarian, while the 2019 Modi-Xi summit menu included chicken, mutton and seafood.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, other BRICS leaders, Union ministers and chief ministers were connected to the event.
- What
- India hosted an all-vegetarian BRICS gala dinner, while Xi Jinping did not attend; social media linked the two events without credible evidence.
- When
- The gala took place on September 12, 2026.
- Where
- Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.
- Why
- The menu appears to have reflected the event’s millet-focused branding; Xi’s absence was attributed by people familiar with the matter to fatigue after travel and meetings.
Menu Critics And Diversity Advocates
Menu Defenders And Event Context
Representing Indian cuisine
Menu Critics And Diversity Advocates
Critics argued that serving only vegetarian food understates India’s culinary range and excludes regional traditions centered on meat and fish.
Menu Defenders And Event Context
Supporters could point to the menu’s millet-focused event branding and to vegetarian state dinners previously held in India and elsewhere.
Why Xi skipped the dinner
Menu Critics And Diversity Advocates
Some social media users suggested that Xi Jinping’s absence was connected to the lack of meat, though this was speculation.
Menu Defenders And Event Context
People familiar with the matter said Xi was tired after a long flight and a packed day, and that his absence was unrelated to the menu.
Whether the menu reflects a policy shift
Menu Critics And Diversity Advocates
The repeated use of meat-free menus at India’s 2023 G20, May 2026 Vietnam and 2026 BRICS events led critics to describe it as a recurring policy or presentation choice.
Menu Defenders And Event Context
The article said India’s menus have varied by event: the 2019 Mamallapuram summit included meat and seafood, suggesting there is no fixed rule.
- Event
- 2026 BRICS gala dinner
- Date
- September 12, 2026
- Venue
- Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
- Menu
- Entirely vegetarian and millet-forward
- Reported reason for Xi’s absence
- Fatigue after a long flight, the summit and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Earlier Indian example
- The 2023 G20 leaders’ dinner also featured an all-vegetarian millet-focused menu
- Contrasting earlier menu
- The 2019 Modi-Xi informal summit in Mamallapuram included chicken, mutton and seafood