New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the first India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 in New Delhi. IICDEM 2026 will be the largest global conference of its kind organized by India in the field of election management and democracy. The Election Commission announced this on Monday.
The Election Commission said, “The ECI is fully prepared for the first IICDEM 2026. The three-day conference, organized by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from January 21. The Election Commission stated that approximately 100 international delegations from more than 70 countries are expected to participate. Representatives from international organizations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practicing experts in the electoral field will also be present.
It added that the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will welcome the delegates and inaugurate the proceedings on January 21.
The ECI said that the three-day program includes general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs). The statement said, “A total of 36 thematic groups, led by Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States/Union Territories (UTs) and supported by national and international academic experts, will contribute to in-depth deliberations during the conference. These discussions will also include participation from leading academic institutions, including 4 IITs, 6 IIMs, 12 National Law Universities (NLUs), and IIMC.”
The Election Commission said that more than 40 bilateral meetings will be held with Election Management Bodies for further discussions and collaboration on various challenges faced by EMBs worldwide. In addition, the Commission will also launch the official ECINET, the ECI’s one-stop digital platform for all election-related information and services. The Election Commission said that these events will be accompanied by an exhibition showcasing the importance and challenges of conducting elections in India, as well as the Commission’s recent efforts to strengthen two crucial aspects of the electoral process: voter list preparation and election management.
They added that a docuseries titled ‘India Decides’, which chronicles the world’s largest election – the 2024 Lok Sabha elections – will also be screened on the first day of IICDEM-2026. Earlier, IICDEM Director General Rakesh Verma stated that the upcoming IICDEM will serve as a platform for international cooperation among Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
