Mumbai, March 9: The ICANN85 Community Forum has brought together policymakers, technology leaders, and Internet governance experts from across the world in Mumbai to deliberate on the future of a secure, stable, and inclusive global Internet.
Organised by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in collaboration with the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the forum is being held from March 7 to March 12, 2026 at the Jio Convention Center.
The official welcome ceremony on Monday marked the formal opening of the global gathering, bringing together senior government representatives and leaders from the Internet governance ecosystem.
Among those present were S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra; Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY; Devesh Tyagi, Chief Executive Officer of NIXI; Tripti Sinha, Chair of the ICANN Board; Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN; and Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific region.
Addressing the gathering, S. Krishnan emphasized the central role of the Internet in modern economic and social systems and underlined the importance of collaborative global governance frameworks.
“The Internet today has become critical infrastructure that supports economies, public services, innovation, and everyday life across the world,” he said. “As digital adoption continues to grow, it is important that we work together to ensure the Internet remains open, secure, resilient, and inclusive.”
“Platforms like ICANN bring together governments, the private sector, the technical community, and civil society to strengthen the multistakeholder approach to Internet governance. India remains committed to contributing to these global efforts and to building trusted digital infrastructure that supports innovation, cooperation, and meaningful participation from all regions,” Secretary MeitY added.
Rajesh Aggarwal highlighted the expanding role of digital infrastructure in governance and economic development, noting that forums such as ICANN85 provide an important space for global dialogue.
“The Internet today is a critical part of economic growth, governance, and daily life,” he said. “Platforms like ICANN85 provide an important opportunity for governments, technical experts, and industry stakeholders to come together and discuss how we can keep the Internet open, secure, and accessible for everyone. Such discussions help strengthen cooperation and ensure that the Internet continues to support innovation and development across regions.”
Tripti Sinha, Chair of the ICANN Board, reflected on the growing importance of safeguarding the integrity of the global Internet at a time of increasing geopolitical and technological complexity.
“The world grows more complex and, at times, more divided — which is precisely why the Internet’s stability and integrity matter more deeply now than ever before,” she said. “Today, that original call rings louder and truer than ever. It asks us to be steady and disciplined in how we work, transparent and accountable in how we decide, and unwavering in our commitment to an Internet that is secure, stable, and reflective of the diverse humanity it serves.”
ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist said the forum is intended to generate concrete progress on key issues confronting the global Internet community. “My focus this week is practical. I want us to leave Mumbai with meaningful progress on the work the community has prioritized, and with momentum on the milestones that are coming next,” he said.
Lindqvist also encouraged broader participation in the Internet governance process, adding that “this community works best when we combine deep experience with fresh eyes, and when we bring more people into the work, especially from regions that have not always been in the center of these conversations.”
The ICANN85 Community Forum features more than 200 sessions involving governments, industry representatives, technical experts, and civil society organisations from around the world. Discussions during the week are expected to address a range of issues related to the stability and security of the global Internet infrastructure, including the evolution of the Domain Name System (DNS), cybersecurity practices, and the forthcoming expansion of generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
A central theme of the forum is the multistakeholder model of Internet governance, under which governments, the private sector, the technical community, and civil society collaborate to develop policies and technical frameworks that support the continued operation of a secure, stable, and globally interoperable Internet.
Founded in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation, ICANN coordinates the system of unique identifiers that allows computers across the world to communicate with each other reliably. By ensuring that Internet addresses remain unique and globally interoperable, the organisation plays a key role in maintaining the stability and functionality of the global Internet.
In India, NIXI has been instrumental in strengthening the country’s Internet infrastructure. Operating under the aegis of MeitY, the not-for-profit organisation facilitates the efficient exchange of domestic Internet traffic and manages India’s country-code top-level domains, including .IN and .भारत (.Bharat). Through these initiatives, NIXI continues to support the growth of a secure and resilient Internet ecosystem aligned with India’s expanding digital economy.
