Shape the Future: Call for Submissions Open for WikiConference India 2026

Assamese wikimedians showing the wiki sign: ByUser:Gitartha.bordoloi, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

WikiConference India 2026 is now open for Programming submissions!

This conference is a space to create, share, and lead, not only to attend. This year, we are building around the theme Re-imagining the Knowledge Commons, and extending an invitation to you to find out together how we build and care for shared knowledge. We’re looking for proposals that go further than traditional editing, uploading, and coding, trying out new ways of taking part and making knowledge as a community. 

WikiConference India will happen in Kochi, Kerala on 4th- 6th September 2026, in the spirit of Namukku Othukoodam (Let’s meet!). 

The Evolving Knowledge Commons

The Knowledge Commons, in its digital form, has come to be defined by the Wikimedia ecosystem. Emerging trends in AI-based search and summarization, content generation, language translation, and new forms of interaction have brought new challenges to the way in which we contribute to the knowledge ecosystem and the way in which consumers unknowingly draw from it. 

To ensure that knowledge remains open, inclusive, safe, and accessible, we cannot simply maintain what exists: we must actively shape ourselves to tackle what comes next and this is at the core of our Programming vision. Our theme aligns closely with broader Wikimedia movement priorities and also the global trends tracked by the Wikimedia Foundation. In a time of declining trust in online information and the rapid rise of AI-generated content; strengthening community-led, human-created knowledge becomes more critical than ever.

Key Questions We Are Exploring

• How efficiently are we bringing traditional stores of knowledge- from people, libraries, academia, galleries, and museums- into the Knowledge Commons?
• How do we protect the integrity of our knowledge, keep the Knowledge Commons verifiable, and protect the agency of our contributors?
• What do all these changes and future possibilities mean for those of us contributing to Wikimedia projects focussing on Indic languages?

Core Focus Themes

We welcome submissions that address our core objectives and align with the following strategic directions:

• Strategic Roadmap Building: Sessions that help us navigate the shifting digital landscape, the rise of new technologies, along with Sustainability and future pathways for Wikimedia in India and South Asia.
• Community Leadership and Governance: Sessions that highlight community-led initiatives and how grassroots leadership can sustain open knowledge.
• New Models of Participation and Contribution: Sessions related to technological enhancement, GLAM, EduWiki, and Knowledge-resource-content partnerships.
• Knowledge Equity and Inclusion across Languages and Regions: Sessions focused on strengthening Indic-language projects and ensuring underrepresented histories remain at our heart.
• Technology, Tools, and the Evolving Digital Knowledge Ecosystem: Exploring infrastructure, platform engineering, and the role of AI.

We especially encourage proposals that:

• Share collective practical experiences and learnings, offering generalizable knowledge.
• Highlight independent/community-led innovations that are reproducible in wider contexts.
• Create space for dialogue, skill-building, and co-creation that travels beyond a single community.

If you have received a scholarship to attend, we especially encourage you to propose a session or be a part of one! Whether you are an experienced contributor or a newer community member, your ideas and experiences are essential to building a meaningful and inclusive program.

Submission Tracks & Formats

To help organize our collective program, we invite proposals across a variety of formats. Please review the session formats and suggested durations below to see where your idea fits best:

• Workshops: 60 – 90 minutes
• Panel discussions: 45 – 60 minutes
• Lightning talks: 5 minutes
• Interactive activity: 30 – 45 minutes
• Facilitated Discussion / Roundtables: 45 – 60 minutes
• Demonstrations: 15 – 20 minutes
• Poster presentations: Posters will be presented at the Conference Venue, allowing one-on-one discussions with participants.
• Community meetups

Note: Unconference sessions are intended for informal meetings after 5:00 PM (following main conference hours) and will not be listed in the primary program schedule. Even if your idea does not fit perfectly into one of these exact buckets, we still want to hear it!

Perspective from the Movement

Nitesh Gill and Nivas at Wikiconference India 2023: By Biswarup Ganguly, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

“WikiConference India is, at its core, a space for communities to meet, reflect, and reimagine- not just a conference, but a moment where communities see themselves and the impact of their work more clearly. WCI 2023 brought that vision to life by bringing Wikimedians from across India and South Asia together in Hyderabad for the first time since 2016, under the theme ‘Strengthening Bonds.‘ It reminded us that reimagining the knowledge commons is ultimately about people, how we connect, collaborate, and care for the spaces we build together. We hope WCI 2026 continues this journey forward.” – Nitesh and Nivas, Organisers of WikiConference India 2023

“WikiConference India 2026 is shaped by the community, and the program is at its heart. Through this call, we invite contributors to bring their ideas, experiences, and questions to the table and help co-create the conversations that matter most.”

– Core Organizing Team, WikiConference India 2026

Key Details & Deadlines

• Submit Your Proposal: Link to Meta-Wiki Submission Page
• Submission Deadline: July 15th, 2026

As we prepare to meet in Kochi this September, remember that the “Knowledge Commons” belongs to you. We cannot reimagine it without your voice, your leadership, and your creativity. Submit your proposal today and help shape the roadmap.