BOMBAI, India, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The ICANN85 Community Forumorganized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and hosted in collaboration with the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under MeitYbrought global internet players to Mumbai to discuss how to support a Open, secure, inclusive and resilient Internet across the global Internet ecosystem.
The ICANN85 Community Forum is currently taking place from March 7-12, 2026 at the Jio Convention Center.
The official welcome ceremony held today was attended by senior government officials and Internet executives, including Shri S. KrishnanIAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India; Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, IASChief Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra; Shri Sushil PalJoint Secretary, MeitY, Government of India; Doctor. Devesh TyagiChairman and CEO, NIXI; and Chairman of the ICANN Board of Directors, Tripti Sinha; President and CEO of ICANN, Kurtis Lindqvist; And Shri Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for Asia Pacific.
“Today, the Internet has become essential infrastructure that supports economies, public services, innovation and daily life around 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. said Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
“Today, the Internet is an essential element 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 to everyone.
“The world is becoming more complex and, at times, more divided – which is precisely why the stability and integrity of the Internet are more important than ever. Today, that initial call resonates louder and truer than ever. It requires us to be steady and disciplined in the way we work, transparent and accountable in the way we decide, and unwavering in our commitment to an Internet that is secure, stable, and reflective of the diversity of humanity it serves,” said ICANN Board Chair Tripti Sinha.
“This week, I’m focused on the practical side. I want us to leave Mumbai with significant progress on the work the community has prioritized, and with momentum on the steps ahead,” said Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO. “For those new to ICANN, I’ll add one thing. Don’t underestimate the value of your perspective and don’t 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 those from regions that haven’t always been at the center of these conversations.”
The ICANN85 Community Forum includes more than 200 sessions involving governments, industry leaders, technical experts and civil society participants from around the world. 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 multi-stakeholder model in Internet governance, in which 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 must enter an address – a name or number – into your computer or other device. This address must be unique so computers know where to be. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers around the world. ICANN was established in 1998 as a non-profit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from around the world.
About NIXI
THE National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a non-profit organization established under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. NIXI plays a vital role in strengthening India’s Internet infrastructure by facilitating the efficient exchange of domestic Internet traffic, managing the .IN And .India (.Bharat) national top-level domains and promote the 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.
SOURCE ICANN
