There is a global discussion on Internet policy

Photo: Collected ছবিঃ সংগৃহীত

Information Technology Desk: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) 85 conference has begun with the goal of ensuring a secure, open, and stable internet. Policymakers, technology experts, industry representatives, and members of civil society from different countries are participating in the event. This important conference in the information technology sector is jointly organized by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).

With support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India, the forum is being held from March 7 to March 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The official inauguration of the conference took place on Monday, the third day of the event.

Senior government officials and leaders from the internet sector around the world attended the event. Among them were S. Krishnan, Secretary of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; Rajesh Aggarwal, representative of the Government of Maharashtra; Devesh Tyagi, CEO of National Internet Exchange of India; Tripti Sinha, Chair of the ICANN Board; Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN; and Samiran Gupta, Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific region at ICANN.

According to the organizers, the six-day forum will include more than 200 sessions discussing key topics such as the development of the Domain Name System (DNS), cybersecurity, internet governance, and the expansion of Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLDs).

ICANN Board Chair Tripti Sinha said the world is becoming increasingly complex and sometimes divided. Therefore, the stability and integrity of the internet are more important now than ever before.

She emphasized the need to maintain discipline in operations, ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making, and remain committed to building a secure and stable internet. She also stressed the importance of ensuring that the internet reflects the diversity of human society.

Meanwhile, ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist said his main goal for the week-long meeting is to achieve real progress on the community’s priority tasks.

He expressed hope that participants would return from the Mumbai meeting with renewed momentum to reach important milestones. Addressing new participants, he said no one should underestimate the importance of their perspective. Combining experience with fresh ideas can make the ICANN community more effective, especially when people from regions that were previously underrepresented in discussions become involved.

During the opening ceremony, the 2026 ICANN Community Excellence Award was also announced. This year the special honor was awarded to Amrita Choudhury, a long-time member of the ICANN community, in recognition of her significant contributions to internet governance and her active role in the ICANN community. ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist formally presented the award to her during the ceremony.

Throughout the week, various sessions of the conference are highlighting the importance of the multistakeholder model in internet governance. Under this model, the ICANN community works collaboratively to develop policies, implement solutions, and manage a secure, stable, and globally coordinated internet.