The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that it will host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM-2026) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from January 21 to 23, 2026. The three-day event aims to become the world’s largest forum of its kind, uniting election experts, policy makers, and representatives from nearly 100 Election Management Bodies (EMBs) across the globe.
Organised under the aegis of the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), the conference will build on India’s chairmanship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA and highlight its role in promoting democratic resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.
The agenda will include plenary sessions, working group meetings, and thematic discussions focused on electoral innovations, international cooperation, and the exchange of best practices in election administration. A flagship feature of the conference will be the launch of ECINet — an initiative designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaborative frameworks among global election practitioners.
ECI leaders, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will engage in over 40 bilateral discussions with international delegates. The programme also integrates academic engagement, with participation from leading institutions such as IITs, IIMs, NLUs, and IIMCs, strengthening the link between academia and democratic governance practices.
This conference underscores India’s growing leadership in global democratic discourse, showcasing its electoral processes, technological innovations like EVMs and VVPATs, and its commitment to fostering informed and inclusive election management worldwide.
