Source: PIB
Subject: International Relations
Context: Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi on 5 March 2026, with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb delivering the keynote address.
About Raisina Dialogue 2026:
What it is?
- The Raisina Dialogue is India’s premier multilateral conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, focusing on global governance, strategic affairs, and emerging international challenges.
- It serves as a platform for dialogue among world leaders, policymakers, military commanders, academics, and industry experts to discuss global strategic issues.
Established in:
- Launched in 2016.
- Hosted annually in New Delhi by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.
History and Evolution:
- The first Raisina Dialogue was held 1–3 March 2016 with the theme Asia: Regional and Global Connectivity.
- Over time, it has evolved into India’s most prominent strategic affairs conference, comparable to global forums such as the Munich Security Conference and Shangri-La Dialogue.
- The name Raisina comes from Raisina Hill, the seat of the Government of India in New Delhi.
Theme of Raisina Dialogue 2026: Saṁskāra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement.
Six Thematic Pillars (2026):
- Contested Frontiers: Power, Polarity and Periphery
- Repairing the Commons: New Groups, New Guardians, New Avenues
- White Whale: The Pursuit of Agenda 2030
- The Eleventh Hour: Climate, Conflict and the Cost of Delay
- Tomorrowland: Towards a Tech-topia
- Trade in the Time of Tariffs: Recovery, Resilience, Reinvention
Aim of the Dialogue:
- To shape global conversations on geopolitics, geo-economics and international cooperation.
- To strengthen India’s role as a convening power in global diplomacy and strategic policy discussions.
Key Features of Raisina Dialogue 2026:
- 11th edition held from 5–7 March 2026 in New Delhi.
- Around 2700 participants from 110 countries attended in person.
- Participation includes ministers, former heads of state, parliamentarians, military leaders, think tanks, technology leaders, and youth delegates.
- Discussions conducted through panels, closed-door sessions, and multilateral strategic dialogues.
- Proceedings are broadcast globally through digital platforms, reaching millions of viewers.
