In a historic first, India hosted the Global Digital Democracy Summit (GDDS) in New Delhi in June 2025, drawing participation from over 70 countries, tech CEOs, civil society leaders, and digital rights advocates. The summit marked a bold step by India to lead global dialogue on ethical technology governance, AI transparency, data sovereignty, and the future of democracy in the digital age.
The three-day event, themed “Tech for All, Trust for All”, was organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with UNESCO and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Keynote speakers included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa.
Defining Digital Democracy
The summit focused on four key pillars:
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AI Ethics and Accountability
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Data Privacy and Cross-Border Flows
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Cybersecurity and Disinformation
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Digital Inclusion and Literacy
India advocated for a “Digital Bill of Rights”—a non-binding framework outlining the rights of citizens in the digital world, including the right to algorithmic transparency, consent-based data collection, and protection against digital manipulation.
Delegates from Brazil, South Africa, and ASEAN supported India’s call for democratic tech governance rooted in equity, privacy, and user agency, as opposed to models dominated by surveillance or corporate monopolies.
India’s Role as a Tech Leader
India used the summit to showcase its own journey of democratizing technology through platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, ONDC, and DigiLocker—all of which have enabled scale, inclusion, and accountability.
The country also proposed a Global AI Audit Alliance, where democracies would cooperate to certify large language models, social media algorithms, and facial recognition systems for ethical compliance. The idea received support from the Nordic countries, Canada, and Australia.
Private companies, including Microsoft, Infosys, Google, and Zoho, signed a “Delhi Digital Pledge” committing to algorithmic fairness, non-discriminatory design, and enhanced grievance redressal mechanisms for users.
Bridging the Digital Divide
A major theme was digital equity. India announced a Digital Justice Fund of ₹1,000 crore to support capacity building, connectivity, and civic tech in developing nations. Several Indian civil society organizations shared grassroots innovations, including vernacular misinformation detection tools, rural digital literacy drives, and AI voice assistants for visually impaired citizens.
Global tech activists raised concerns about algorithmic bias, surveillance capitalism, and shrinking space for online dissent. The summit acknowledged these as real threats and called for multi-stakeholder frameworks involving states, tech firms, and citizens to co-govern the internet.
Looking Ahead
The summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on Digital Democracy, a consensus document affirming commitments to:
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Protect online civic space
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Encourage open-source technologies
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Strengthen data protection regulations
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Promote global south leadership in internet governance
The GDDS will now be an annual rotating summit, with the next edition to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2026.
Conclusion
By hosting the Global Digital Democracy Summit in 2025, India has positioned itself as not just a technology powerhouse, but a moral compass in the digital world. As democracies wrestle with disruptive tech, India’s leadership in framing rights-based, inclusive, and ethical digital norms could shape the future of freedom in cyberspace.
