New Delhi, January 7: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM)-2026 from 21st to 23rd January at Bharat Mandapam here. The three-day conference is being organised by India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) under the aegis of ECI.

The IICDEM 2026 will be the largest global conference of its kind hosted by India in the field of election management and democracy. It will be attended by nearly 100 international delegates representing Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from across the world, along with representatives from international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practicing experts in the field of elections.

The conference will carry forward the agenda laid out by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, upon India’s assumption of the Chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for the year 2026, anchored in the theme “Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world.”

Director General, IIIDEM, Rakesh Verma, held an interaction with media persons today, outlining the broad contours of IICDEM 2026.

He stated that the conference will serve as a global platform for international cooperation among Election Management Bodies, enabling the development of a shared understanding of contemporary challenges, exchange of best practices and innovations, and co-creation of solutions. The address was followed by an unveiling of the official logo of IICDEM 2026.

IICDEM 2026 will also familiarise the participants, representing a significant proportion of the global electorate, with India’s electoral framework, processes, and technological innovations that have made Indian elections an exemplar among democracies.

During the three-day conference, ECI led by the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi will be holding over 40 bilateral meetings with the heads of participating EMBs and other international delegates.

The conference will also see participation from leading academic institutions, including 4 IITs, 6 IIMs, 12 NLUs and IIMCs, with 36 thematic groups led by CEOs of States/UTs and national and international academic experts contributing to deliberations.