- IICDEM 2026 to be hosted by ECI at Bharat Mandapam
- IICDEM 2026 to focus on democracy and election management
The Election Commission of India will host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management, IICDEM 2026, from January 21 to January 23, 2026. The three day international conference will take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management is organising the event under the aegis of the Election Commission of India.
IICDEM 2026 will be the largest global conference of its kind hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management. Nearly 100 international delegates will attend the conference. These delegates will represent Election Management Bodies from across the world. Representatives from international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practising experts in elections will also participate. Therefore, the conference is expected to bring together a wide range of global voices on democratic processes.
The conference will carry forward the agenda laid out by Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri Gyanesh Kumar. This follows India’s assumption of the Chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for the year 2026. The conference theme is “Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world.” Meanwhile, the agenda aims to strengthen cooperation among global election bodies through shared dialogue and experience.
Director General of IIIDEM Shri Rakesh Verma held an interaction with media persons to outline the broad contours of IICDEM 2026. He stated that the conference will serve as a global platform for international cooperation among Election Management Bodies. It will enable a shared understanding of contemporary challenges. It will also support the exchange of best practices and innovations. Later, the interaction concluded with the unveiling of the official logo of IICDEM 2026.
IICDEM 2026 will also familiarise participants with India’s electoral framework, processes, and technological innovations. These elements have made Indian elections an exemplar among democracies. The programme will include general and plenary sessions such as the Inaugural Session, EMB Leaders’ Plenary, EMB Working Group Meetings, and the launch of ECINet. Thematic sessions will cover global electoral themes, international electoral standards, and best practices in electoral processes.
During the conference, the Election Commission of India, led by Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will hold over 40 bilateral meetings. These meetings will be with heads of participating Election Management Bodies and other international delegates. The conference will also see participation from academic institutions including four IITs, six IIMs, twelve NLUs and IIMCs. Thirty six thematic groups led by CEOs of States and Union Territories, along with national and international academic experts, will contribute to the deliberations. After the press conference, media persons were given a tour of the IIIDEM Dwarka campus, which is emerging as a major institute for capacity building in election management.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates
