Business Wire India
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will convene its 85th Public Meeting in Mumbai from 7–12 March 2026, hosted by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). With its more than one billion Internet users and a thriving digital economy, India is an ideal location for participants from around the world to gather at the ICANN85 Community Forum to advance the technical work that ensures the secure and stable operation of the Internet.
“Ten years after the ICANN Public Meeting in Hyderabad, the ICANN85 Community Forum in Mumbai offers the Indian Internet community an excellent opportunity to attend and participate in the global dialogue on important Internet governance issues,” said Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. “I want to thank our host NIXI for bringing ICANN85 to Mumbai and I look forward to a fruitful meeting.”
Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Chairman, NIXI said, “India’s digital transformation is anchored in an open, secure, inclusive and resilient Internet. Hosting ICANN85 reflects India’s commitment to the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and to advancing policy frameworks that support innovation, inclusion, and trust in the global Internet ecosystem.”
Key Topics at ICANN85: The New gTLD Program, ICANN Community’s Role in Advancing a Multilingual Internet, and the Multistakeholder Model
ICANN85 takes place at a pivotal moment – just before the launch of the next application round for the New gTLD Program in April. The program, the next expansion of the Domain Name System, provides businesses, communities, governments, and other organizations with the rare opportunity to apply for new top-level domains tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests. The meeting will include important updates about the next round and how to apply.
The New gTLD Program helps to advance ICANN’s 2030 vision as the trusted steward of the Internet's unique identifier systems to strengthen the single, globally interoperable Internet for all. This truly multilingual Internet enables people globally to use the Internet in their own languages and scripts, which matches the Indian government’s approach to expanding Internet usage.
ICANN85 is the first ICANN Public Meeting since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the WSIS+20 Outcomes Document on 17 December 2025. The World Summit on the Information Society: 20-year review (WSIS+20) reaffirmed that the Internet is a shared global resource whose stability, openness, and interoperability depend on the multistakeholder model approach, a position strongly supported by ICANN and the Government of India.
WSIS+20 marked a reaffirmation rather than an end point, demonstrating the need to continue the work of the multistakeholder model, bringing new voices and expertise into the Internet governance ecosystem, strengthening knowledge transfer and capacity building, and sustaining engagement through forums like ICANN Public Meetings.
ICANN Community Excellence Award
Continuing its tradition of recognizing outstanding community member contributions, the ICANN Community Excellence Award will be presented at the Welcome Ceremony (9 March 2026). This award recognizes ICANN community members who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions and contributed substantively to the ICANN multistakeholder model.
Registration
In-person registration remains open until 6 March 2026. On-site registration is not available. Attendance is free and open to all. For more information, and to register, please visit the meeting website.
