Chandigarh: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is fully prepared to host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 from January 21 to January 23 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The three-day global conference is being organised by the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM).
An ECI spokesperson said the IICDEM 2026 is poised to become the largest international conference of its kind hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management. Nearly 100 international delegates representing over 70 countries from across the world are expected to participate. The conference will also see participation from representatives of international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practicing experts in the electoral domain.
The Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sh. Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will receive the delegates and flag off the proceedings at the inaugural session on January 21, 2026.
The three-day programme will include general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs), including the Inaugural Session, EMB Leaders’ Plenary and EMB Working Group Meetings. In addition, a series of thematic sessions will focus on global electoral issues, model international electoral standards, and innovations and best practices in electoral processes.
A total of 36 thematic group sessions will be held during the conference. These sessions will be led by Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories and supported by national and international academic experts. The deliberations will also involve participation from leading academic institutions, including four Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), twelve National Law Universities (NLUs) and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).
During IICDEM 2026, the Election Commission of India will also hold over 40 bilateral meetings with Election Management Bodies from different countries to strengthen cooperation and exchange views on key challenges faced by EMBs globally. On this occasion, the Commission will formally launch ECINET, ECI’s one-stop digital platform for all election-related information and services.
An exhibition showcasing the scale and complexity of conducting elections in India will be organised alongside the conference. The exhibition will also highlight recent initiatives taken by the Election Commission of India to strengthen the two core pillars of elections, namely preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections.
In addition, the docuseries “India Decides,” which chronicles the making of the world’s largest democratic exercise, the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, will be showcased on the first day of IICDEM 2026.