Celebrity chef and actor Ranveer Brar has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the exclusively vegetarian menu served at the 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026, defending the choice as a pragmatic diplomatic decision that sidesteps global food sensitivities.

Brar's Defence of the Vegetarian Choice

Speaking during promotions of his new streaming show 'Yess Chef' in Andheri West, Mumbai, Brar explained the rationale: “We make that thing a mandate. Sometimes, you want to stay away from the global controversy. Some countries eat beef, some countries eat pork, so sometimes you want to stay away from it and you want to serve food that stays away from controversy. Vegetarian food stays away from controversy, internationally.”

His remarks come after left-leaning sections of society criticised the all-vegetarian spread, arguing that the menu could have been more diverse to reflect the varied culinary traditions of participating nations. Brar's rebuttal, however, reframes the decision as a unifying gesture rather than an ideological one.

The MasterChef Parallel

Brar drew a parallel with his own professional experience to challenge the notion that a vegetarian menu signals a permanent culinary shift. “In MasterChef there was a vegetarian season last year. People were like, 'MasterChef has turned vegetarian'. But, that was not the case. It was only that we wanted to highlight the vegetarian food of our country,” he said.

He added: “The world is talking about vegetarianism, veganism, so this time, we celebrated our vegetarianism and we should see it that way. We have to put a united front in front of the whole world.” The comments reflect a broader global trend — plant-based diets are increasingly foregrounded at major international events as a nod to sustainability and inclusivity.

About the 18th BRICS Summit

The 18th BRICS Summit was hosted in New Delhi under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'. All 11 BRICS member nations were represented — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia — along with representatives from 10 partner countries including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Nigeria, Uganda, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and heads of institutions including the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank also attended. The summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, a 140-point document covering global governance, peace and security, trade, finance, technology, health and climate.

Why the Menu Debate Matters

The controversy over India's food choices at a summit of this scale is not purely culinary — it touches on soft power, national identity and cultural diplomacy. Notably, India's global profile as a vegetarian-friendly nation is both an asset and a flashpoint, particularly when hosting delegations from nations where meat-heavy cuisines are central to national identity. Brar's framing — that vegetarianism is a neutral, controversy-free default for multicultural gatherings — echoes arguments that have surfaced at previous multilateral events hosted by India.

As the BRICS bloc continues to expand its membership and influence, how India projects its culture on the world stage — including through food — is likely to remain a recurring conversation.