BRICS Summit 2026: How VIP Drivers Are Trained to Drive Foreign Delegations

Drivers assigned to VIPs and foreign delegations tell Brut about the training, vehicle checks, confidentiality rules and discipline required for high-profile assignments.

Team Brut

Published on

2026

A VIP Driver Is Not Just A Driver

For drivers assigned to major delegations, knowing how to interact with a VIP is considered part of the job.

Chauffeur Lucky told Brut, "For events like BRICS, we have to wear gloves and a cap. Sometimes we wear a coat and tie and black shoes, black trousers, a black coat and a white shirt."

Paramjit Mann, owner of Mann Tours, explained, "A little polishing at the last moment is what we are doing.” She further added, “That involves, like, just basic manners like how you need to be dressed up properly, though they do that always. It's not something which is special. But still, again, to remind them that every day you need to be in a crisp white uniform. You should be hygienically very... the outlook should be really smart. And then how polite you need to be with the guest, how you want to greet the guest. So all these basic etiquettes."

The driver, too, is expected to look presentable and the car has to be clean. Another driver told Brut, "Basically, they tell us what they need inside the car. When they tell us, we keep those things. We keep a medicine box, water bottles, and umbrellas. Depending on how many guests there are, three to four umbrellas are kept. And in the car, chips, cold drinks and things like that are presented to the guest."

ALSO READ: BRICS Summit 2026: How India Is Preparing For World Leaders With 25,000 Security Personnel And Luxury Hotel Demand

Drivers Are Trained For Convoy Movements

Major delegations can involve multiple vehicles travelling together.

The drivers told Brut that this requires specific training because one vehicle's mistake can affect the entire convoy.

Mann explained, "So these vehicles, if one person makes a mistake, then the whole convoy will get disturbed. So we need to give them a proper training that you need to follow the vehicle in front of you."

Drivers are also briefed on routes, speed and overtaking.

One driver said, "We are told not to drive faster than 40, not faster than 50, and not to overtake anyone. We are properly guided that day, so we follow the same thing."

For major events, the preparation can begin well before the delegation arrives.

President, Sales, Jagdeep Mann told Brut that for events such as BRICS and G20, a tender would arrive one or two months in advance.

After that, driver verification begins, "Then we start full verification of the drivers. Even if they are our drivers, if we have to bring people from outside, for example, when G20 was happening across the whole of India, then all the drivers there also underwent full verification. Then we take their sizes, take the vehicle numbers, and check the vehicles."

The driver said teams can arrive two or three days before an event to inspect the vehicles and train the drivers, "Drivers are given training. They have two or three days of driving training: this is how you have to drive the car, these things should be in the car, you should not talk too much with the guest, you should answer only what the guest asks, you should take the route we have given you, don't take a route according to your own choice, and you are given the proper dress."

Experience matters, but so does the driver's personality

Mann told Brut that experienced drivers are generally preferred for VIP assignments.

"Older they are, the more confidence we have in them because we have seen them."

Mann said the company generally tries to include drivers who have worked with it for many years, “Some of the drivers, they have been working with us from the last 30 years also, since the company has started only."

But experience is not the only consideration, "And plus obviously it's not only the time frame which is important, the personality of the chauffeur also."

Mann said a driver who has worked for only one or two years could also be selected if the company considers their conduct and record suitable.

"You Can't Drive Like A Star"

For VIP assignments, the drivers said the tolerance for mistakes is particularly low.

Lucky also said, "You can't drive like a star. Whether you have a client with you or not, you have to drive patiently."

He explained why, "Because once you make a mistake, God forbid, if someone's car gets hit, your record gets spoiled."

Lucky also said, "If a delegation is going out of Delhi, going to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, and if they are going at 120, then we also have to go because you cannot leave the target behind. There you have to break the rule a little. Otherwise, we drive the car within the rules."

This is the driver's account of how such assignments operate. It should not be read as an official exemption from traffic rules or as a statement of BRICS policy.

TL;DR | News At a Glance

When is the BRICS Summit 2026?

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September 2026.

How are VIP drivers selected?

Mann and the drivers told Brut that experience, conduct, personality and their track record can all matter. Drivers with many years of experience are often preferred for high-profile assignments.

What training do VIP drivers receive?

The drivers and Mann described training covering convoy movements, routes, speed, overtaking, appearance, guest etiquette and how to interact with passengers.

What is checked before a VIP car goes on duty?

Mann told Brut that vehicles undergo detailed checks covering items including tyres, air conditioning, lights, paintwork, first-aid equipment and fire extinguishers. One interviewee said around 90 points are checked.

Do these drivers also work with celebrities?

The drivers told Brut that their assignments can include Bollywood actors, cricketers and major corporate figures.