The year of 2020 and 2021 has been bringing the internet to the forefront of public debate as pandemic lurked in. The internet has provided solutions to the restriction of gathering in curbing the virus, while on the other hand, the landscape also presented its own emerging issues and trends. As a region with enormous internet economy potential (800 Mn Internet users and over 1.2 Bn mobile users), India comes with the most diverse internet-related stakeholders and issues (e.g. cybersecurity, net neutrality, online rights, youth and digital innovation). In a global setting, following such a need to include, consider, and invite these stakeholders’ perspectives, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) initiated the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in 2006 and has since been holding the Forum annually.

Therefore, with aforementioned internet economy size and users, as well as diverse stakeholders’ views, Indian Government, along with the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and Other stakeholders, perceive the region is at importance to host its own India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF).