WikiConference India 2026 word text by Gnoeee CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
Last month, we shared the first major milestone for WikiConference India (WCI) 2026:the opening of scholarship applications under the spirit of Namukku Othukoodam, meaning “Let us come together.” The response so far reflects the energy and commitment of the Wikimedia communities across South Asia, especially in India. While that invitation focused on “who” should be there, today we are excited to share the “why”.
As we prepare to meet in Kochi this September, we are centring our conversations, workshops, and collaborations around a shared, forward-looking vision. We are excited to introduce the theme that will guide WikiConference India 2026:
Theme: “Reimagining the Knowledge Commons”
Sub-title: Community leadership for the future of Wikimedia
Why this theme?
The digital landscape is shifting rapidly- from the rise of new AI technologies to changing patterns in how people seek and trust information. The knowledge commons we have built over the last two decades now exists within a more complex and evolving ecosystem.
To ensure that knowledge remains open, inclusive, safe, and accessible, we cannot simply maintain what exists: we must actively shape what comes next. This theme aligns closely with broader Wikimedia movement priorities, as highlighted in the Wikimedia Foundation’s global trends. 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.
This theme works because it is:
- Future-oriented: It acknowledges that the movement must evolve to stay relevant.
- Grounded in community agency: It places the power of this evolution in the hands of contributors, editors, and organizers who lead our projects every day.
- A call for new models: It encourages us to think beyond traditional editing and explore new ways of participation and knowledge creation that reflect the diversity of India and South Asia.
“The idea of ‘reimagining’ invites us to pause and reflect on how we build and share knowledge today. It’s also a call to actively shape what the Wikimedia movement can become tomorrow- together, as communities.”
— Core Organising Team, WikiConference India 2026
Connecting the Dots
In our first blog, we spoke about the importance of bringing together diverse voices from across Indic-language projects. Strengthening collaboration across these communities is essential as we navigate the future.
Reimagining the knowledge commons is not only about tools or platforms- it is also about leadership. It is about ensuring that regional languages, local knowledge systems, and underrepresented histories remain at the heart of the global movement.
The Wikimedia movement has always been rooted in a shared knowledge commons- built by communities, for communities. As the ecosystem evolves, so do the questions we must ask:
- How do we sustain and grow participatory knowledge models in a changing technological landscape?
- What new forms of collaboration and contribution can create meaningful impact?
- How can communities continue to lead and shape the future of open knowledge?
“Reimagining the Knowledge Commons” invites us to reflect on these questions together, while staying grounded in what makes Wikimedia unique: community agency.
“WikiConference India has always been about people- the communities who build and sustain the knowledge commons. The future of Wikimedia will be shaped by community leadership that is inclusive, adaptive, and bold in reimagining how knowledge is created and shared.” — Manavpreet Kaur, Core Organising Team WikiConference India 2016
What to expect
Over the coming months, the program will be shaped around this theme. You can expect sessions that challenge current workflows, highlight community-led innovations, and explore pathways for the future of the Wikimedia movement in India.
We envision WikiConference India 2026 as more than a conference- it is a space to collectively imagine and design the future of one of the internet’s most important shared resources.
Join the Conversation
If you haven’t already, make sure to:
- Apply for a Scholarship: The deadline is April 15, 2026.
- Stay Tuned: We will soon be opening the call for program submissions, where you can propose sessions that align with our new theme.
Let’s come together in Kochi to reimagine what we can build together.
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