NIXI concludes Universal Acceptance Day 2025, focused on multilingual internet
Published: Mar 29, 2025
By TIOLCorplaws News Service
NEW DELHI, MAR 29, 2025: THE National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organised a hybrid event on Universal Acceptance Day on 28th March 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The event, themed "Connecting the Unconnected - Building a Multilingual Internet for Viksit Bharat," aimed to accelerate the adoption of Universal Acceptance (UA) and create a more inclusive digital ecosystem in India.
To achieve a truly accessible internet, it is essential that all digital tools and platforms support the diverse range of domain names and email addresses currently in use, regardless of linguistic or structural variations. Universal Acceptance plays a crucial role in ensuring an inclusive digital environment. The event witnessed the presence of Mr. S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, and Chairman, NIXI, as the Chief Guest; among other Government officials and industry leaders globally.
Importance of internet governance and resilience
S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY , highlighted that "In an increasingly digital-first world, it is essential that technology does not become a barrier, particularly in a diverse country like India. Universal Acceptance is not just about technical standards, it's about empowering every citizen, regardless of language or background, to fully participate in the digital economy. We are committed to simplifying a democratising digital access, ensuring that the benefits of technology reach even those who are not digitally aware. Our efforts, including the promotion of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and language translation tools, aim to bridge the digital divide and create a safer, more inclusive online environment."
He further emphasized the importance of internet governance and resilience, highlighting India's role in shaping a multi-stakeholder approach globally. "As India's internet user base approaches a billion, we must ensure that our voice is heard in international forums. We are dedicated to building a robust and resilient digital infrastructure that protects our cultural identity and enables seamless communication within the country, even in challenging scenarios."
Empowering communities and fostering true digital inclusion
Mr Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, highlighted the significance of UA Day, also stated, "Universal Acceptance is essential to ensure that everyone, regardless of their language, can fully participate in the digital world. By embracing linguistic diversity online, we are not just preserving languages-we are empowering communities and fostering true digital inclusion. A truly inclusive digital space respects and represents all voices."
Unlocking the full potential of India's digital economy
Dr Devesh Tyagi, CEO NIXI, while speaking at the UA day 2025 event, stated, "NIXI is proud to have spearheaded this initiative. UA Day 2025 has provided a key platform for stakeholders to come together, share insights, and commit to action. Our focus remains on creating a truly inclusive internet, where language is no longer a barrier. We believe that a multilingual internet is essential for connecting the unconnected and unlocking the full potential of India's digital economy."
Promoting Universal Acceptance and digital inclusivity
The event featured in-depth discussions exploring the comprehensive scope of UA. Sessions delved into the socio-economic impact of UA on MSMEs & industries in general, the benefits of operating a UA-compliant business, and the crucial role of a multilingual internet in shaping effective public policy. Participants also identified gaps in the adoption of native languages and suggested novel initiatives to address these challenges, helping to better understand the barriers faced by internet users. The panel also underscored the importance of UA within the Digital Public Infrastructure, especially through the utilisation of UA, the government can empower citizens by enabling seamless access to essential digital services in their native languages.
The panel highlighted the landmark development by India in UA adoption such as "Bhashini Portal" & the multistakeholder approach pushed at international fora. The need of sealing up capacity building, competencies at the core systems of technology development standards etc to facilitate UA level interoperability was highlighted by various industry leaders and tech enthusiasts.
The event also underscored India's role in promoting UA, emphasising the importance of creating a digital environment where every Indian can fully utilise the internet in their preferred language.
The event was well supported & attended by UNESCO and ICANN. Mr Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia; and Mr Samiran Gupta, VP, Stakeholder Engagement & MD, Asia Pacific, ICANN, Jaco Du Toit, Chief of Section, Universal Access to Information and Digital Inclusion, UNESCO HQ, were among the key speakers & participants.
About NIXI:
Established on 19th June 2003, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit (Section 8) company under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. It is tasked with increasing Internet penetration and adoption in India by facilitating various infrastructure aspects to enable the Internet ecosystem to be managed and used by the masses. The four services under NIXI include Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) for building Internet Exchange Points, the IN Registry for establishing the in domain digital identity, and IRINN for the adoption of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
