ICANN85 Community Forum Held in Mumbai, Focus on Building a Secure and Resilient Internet
Journalist- Dhananjay Vishwakarma
Mumbai, India | March 9, 2026 – The ICANN85 Community Forum, organized 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), is currently taking place in Mumbai. The global conference has brought together Internet leaders, policymakers, and technical experts to discuss the future of an open, secure, and resilient Internet ecosystem.
The forum is being held from 7–12 March 2026 at the Jio Convention Center, Mumbai, with participation from stakeholders representing governments, private sector organizations, technical communities, and civil society from across the world.
The official Welcome Ceremony witnessed the presence of several prominent dignitaries 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; Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO 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.
Speaking at the event, Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, emphasized that the Internet has become critical infrastructure supporting economies, public services, innovation, and daily life worldwide. He highlighted the importance of global collaboration to ensure that the Internet remains open, secure, resilient, and inclusive as digital adoption continues to grow. He also reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening trusted digital infrastructure and contributing to global Internet governance efforts.
Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, stated that the Internet now plays a vital role in economic growth, governance, and everyday life. Platforms such as ICANN85 create opportunities for governments, industry leaders, and technical experts to work together in ensuring that the Internet remains accessible, secure, and beneficial for everyone.
Tripti Sinha, Chair of the ICANN Board, noted that in an increasingly complex and sometimes divided world, the stability and integrity of the Internet have become more important than ever. She stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and strong collaboration to maintain a secure and stable global Internet that reflects the diversity of humanity.
Meanwhile, Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN, said his focus during the week-long forum is to achieve meaningful progress on community priorities and upcoming milestones. He also encouraged new participants to actively contribute their ideas and perspectives, highlighting that the ICANN community thrives when experienced voices are combined with fresh insights from different regions.
The ICANN85 Community Forum includes more than 200 sessions featuring discussions on key issues related to the stable and secure functioning of the Internet. Major topics include the evolution of the Domain Name System (DNS), cybersecurity practices, and the upcoming expansion of generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
Throughout the event, discussions will highlight the significance of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance, where governments, industry, technical experts, and civil society collaborate to develop policies and solutions that ensure the continued operation of a secure, stable, and globally interoperable Internet.
About ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) works to ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. Every device connected to the Internet requires a unique address (a name or number) to communicate with other devices. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers globally to ensure the Internet functions smoothly. Established in 1998, ICANN is a nonprofit public benefit corporation with participants from around the world.
About NIXI
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization set up under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. NIXI plays a crucial role in strengthening India’s Internet infrastructure by facilitating domestic Internet traffic exchange, managing the .IN and .भारत (.Bharat) country-code domains, and promoting Internet adoption across the country.
