ECI to Host Global Democracy Summit IICDEM-2026 in New Delhi
Three-day mega conference from January 21–23 at Bharat Mandapam; nearly 100 delegates from 70+ countries to attend
- IICDEM-2026 to begin on January 21 in New Delhi
- Nearly 100 delegates from over 70 countries to participate
- More than 40 bilateral meetings and 36 breakout sessions planned
- ECI to launch ECINET digital platform during the event
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Jan: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is fully prepared to host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM-2026), a landmark global event that will be held from January 21 to 23 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
Organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), the three-day conference is being described as the largest international gathering on democracy and election management ever hosted by India. Nearly 100 delegates representing more than 70 countries, along with officials from international organisations, foreign missions in India, and leading academics and election practitioners, are expected to attend.
Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will formally welcome the delegates and inaugurate the proceedings on January 21, 2026.
The conference agenda includes general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs), an EMB Leaders’ Plenary, and working group meetings. Special thematic sessions will focus on global electoral standards, best practices in election administration, and technological innovations in voting and election management.
A total of 36 thematic breakout groups, led by Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories and supported by national and international experts, will engage in detailed discussions. Participants will also include scholars from four IITs, six IIMs, 12 National Law Universities (NLUs) and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).
The ECI will conduct more than 40 bilateral meetings with international EMBs to strengthen cooperation and share experiences on challenges such as voter registration, election integrity, misinformation, and use of technology in polls. During the event, the Commission will also formally launch ECINET, a one-stop digital platform providing election-related information and services.
Alongside the conference, an exhibition will showcase the scale and complexity of conducting elections in India, highlighting recent ECI initiatives aimed at strengthening electoral rolls and improving election conduct.
On the first day of IICDEM-2026, a special screening of the docuseries “India Decides”, documenting the making of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections—the world’s largest democratic exercise—will also be held.
