Future of Internet in India: Policy leaders, academia, industry to converge at IIGF 2025 tomorrow

Ziraat Times News Desk

New Delhi, Nov 26 — The fifth edition of the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF 2025) will convene in the capital on November 27–28, bringing together government officials, technology industry leaders, civil society representatives, academics and global internet governance experts to deliberate on the future of India’s rapidly expanding digital landscape.

The two-day annual event, organised in a multistakeholder format, will be held on Day 1 at the India Habitat Centre and Day 2 at the India International Centre. The forum serves as India’s national chapter of the UN Internet Governance Forum and aims to foster open and inclusive discussions on digital policy issues.

The theme for this year’s edition is “Advancing Internet Governance for an Inclusive and Sustainable Viksit Bharat.” Discussions will revolve around three core sub-themes:

• Inclusive Digital Future

• Digital Infrastructure for Resilient and Sustainable Growth

• AI for People, Planet and Progress, with a focus on safe, responsible, and meaningful use of artificial intelligence

Officials said the themes have been chosen to align India’s internet governance priorities with its long-term development goals and the rising relevance of digital public infrastructure and AI governance.

The forum will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Shri Jitin Prasada, in the presence of Shri Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY, and Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO of the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).

Speakers from the UN IGF, Meta, Google Cloud, Cyber Café Association of India (CCAOI), and prominent academic institutions will lead the conversations.

Over the two days, participants will attend four high-level panel discussions and twelve thematic workshops. These sessions will explore sectoral and community-level challenges, including:

• Strengthening India’s digital governance architecture

• Ensuring equitable access to digital services

• Promoting resilience in digital infrastructure

• Addressing emerging risks and opportunities in AI

• Enhancing cooperation between government, industry and civil society

The organisers said the format is intended to give equal space to all stakeholder groups — government, civil society, industry, academia and technical bodies — in keeping with global best practices on internet governance.

The India Internet Governance Forum, set up in 2021, is overseen by a 14-member committee representing diverse sectors. Its mandate is to facilitate open dialogue, build consensus on internet-related issues, and support India’s position in global internet governance platforms.

Registrations Open for Stakeholders

Members of the media, digital policy stakeholders and interested participants have been invited to register online at indiaigf.in to join the discussions shaping the next phase of India’s digital ecosystem.

The forum comes at a time when India’s digital economy is expanding rapidly and policy frameworks on data governance, AI, cybersecurity, and digital inclusion are gaining national importance.