The International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026, organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI), commenced at Bharat Mandapam on Wednesday, bringing together election management bodies, diplomats, experts and officials from across the world.
The three-day conference opened with an inaugural session attended by around 1,000 participants, including representatives from 42 Election Management Bodies (EMBs), Ambassadors and High Commissioners from 27 countries, experts from more than 70 national institutions, senior ECI officials and 36 Chief Electoral Officers from Indian states and Union Territories.
Ahead of the opening session, the ECI hosted a formal reception ceremony where Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, welcomed nearly 60 international delegates.
Addressing the gathering, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said election management institutions have significantly evolved over the decades and highlighted the scale of Indian elections, covering 28 states, eight Union Territories and a population of 1.5 billion.
Election Commissioner Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu underlined that citizens’ faith in electoral systems is central to democracies, adding that it is the collective duty of EMBs to ensure that every vote is respected.
EC Dr Vivek Joshi said the conference serves as a forum for EMBs, researchers, students and practitioners who view elections from different perspectives and contribute to institutional strengthening.
Speaking on the conference theme, DG IIIDEM Rakesh Verma noted that India’s chairship emphasises “democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world,” reflecting evolving aspirations from democratic systems in the 21st century.
Delegates were also shown glimpses from “India Decides,” an upcoming docuseries produced in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery. Addressing the event, the company’s Managing Director Arjun Nohwar said the series captures the complexity of Indian general elections through compelling visuals and the functioning of an institution with one of the most demanding mandates globally.
