MUMBAI, India, March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The ICANN85 Community Forum, organized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and hosted in collaboration with the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under MeitY, brought global Internet stakeholders to Mumbai to discuss how to support an open, secure, inclusive, and resilient Internet across the global Internet ecosystem.
The ICANN85 Community Forum is currently taking place 7–12 March 2026 at Jio Convention Center.
The official Welcome Ceremony held today, brought together senior government officials and Internet leaders including Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India; Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra; Shri Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY, Government of India; Dr. Devesh Tyagi, Chief Executive Officer, NIXI; and ICANN Board Chair, Tripti Sinha; ICANN President and CEO, Kurtis Lindqvist; and Shri Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region.
“The Internet today has become critical infrastructure that supports economies, public services, innovation, and everyday life across the world. 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.” said Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
“The Internet today is a critical part of economic growth, governance, and daily life. 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,” said Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra.
“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. 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,” said Tripti Sinha, ICANN Board Chair.
“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,” said Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO. “For those newer to ICANN, I will add one more thing. Do not underestimate the value of your perspective, and do not hesitate to contribute. 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 is comprised of more than 200 sessions involving governments, industry leaders, technical experts, and civil society participants from around the world. The sessions focus on key issues related to the secure and stable operation of the Internet, including the evolution of the Domain Name System, cybersecurity practices, and the upcoming expansion of generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
Discussions throughout the week will highlight the importance of the multistakeholder model in Internet governance, where the ICANN community collaborates to develop policies, implement solutions, and support the continued operation of a secure, stable, and globally interoperable Internet.
About ICANN
ICANN’s mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
About NIXI
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. NIXI plays a critical role in strengthening India’s Internet infrastructure by facilitating efficient exchange of domestic Internet traffic, managing the .IN and .भारत (.Bharat) country-code top-level domains, and promoting adoption of Internet services across the country. Through its initiatives, NIXI supports a secure, resilient, and inclusive Internet ecosystem aligned with India’s digital growth ambitions.
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