The fifth edition of the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF-2025) concluded after two days of dialogue in New Delhi, bringing together a wide range of voices from government, technology firms, academia, civil-society organisations and global institutions. The annual multi-stakeholder platform focused on shaping an open, trusted and inclusive internet ecosystem aligned with the country’s digital ambitions.Centred on the theme “Advancing Internet Governance for an Inclusive and Sustainable Viksit Bharat,” the forum explored three priority areas: creating an inclusive digital future, strengthening digital infrastructure for resilient growth, and ensuring that artificial intelligence is developed responsibly. Across four panel discussions and twelve workshops, participants examined issues such as rural access, cybersecurity readiness, DNS security, open digital systems, data protection, online safety, the evolution of India’s digital public infrastructure and opportunities for youth in emerging technologies.Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) Jitin Prasada said the discussions reaffirmed that India’s digital progress depends on collective action. “Our focus is to give every citizen safe, affordable and reliable access to the internet… A country of our size also faces real cyber risks, and managing them is not the job of the government alone,” he said. He added that India will continue supporting global cooperation to extend digital benefits to underserved regions.Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY, emphasised the need to reinforce trust and safety as the country nears a billion internet users. He said advancing resilience and strengthening core internet systems would demand coordinated work across sectors.Dr Devesh Tyagi, CEO, NIXI, highlighted the progress of multi-stakeholder engagement, noting that special interest groups and the NIXI Internet Intern Scheme are expanding technical capacity nationwide.The forum closed with a shared commitment to building a safer, more inclusive and globally connected internet.News source: PIB