Charting Towards a Multilingual and Inclusive Internet

The inaugural Universal Acceptance (UA) Day will kick off with a keystone event in New Delhi, India on 27–28 March 2023. Guided by the shared goal of enabling a multilingual Internet for people to use in their own languages and scripts, the event will be hosted by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) through the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), in collaboration with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG).

UA is essential for a truly multilingual Internet and a key driver to bringing the next billion users online. UA helps to ensure that all valid domain names and email addresses, regardless of length, language, or script, work in all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems.

This UA Day event recognizes the Indian government’s strong commitment to advancing UA, together with ICANN and the UASG. The high-profile program will feature remarks about the importance of UA from representatives of the Government of India and local business leaders, ICANN’s Board Chair Tripti Sinha, ICANN Interim President and CEO Sally Costerton, and a special address by the Internet pioneer Vint Cerf. The two-day event, which will be held at New Delhi’s Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) auditorium and Manekshaw Center, includes panel discussions, case studies, and networking opportunities with a focus on UA. It will be open to in-person and virtual attendees.

“In a region where the majority of our population does not use English, breaking down languages barriers and making the benefits of the Internet accessible to people in their own languages and scripts is a top priority for ICANN,” said Jia-Rong Low, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director – Asia Pacific. “We are grateful to the Government of India and the UASG for partnering with us to launch the first UA Day.”

“We are proud to host the inaugural UA Day event in New Delhi,” said Anil Kumar Jain, NIXI CEO. “The vast majority of Indians do not communicate in English but in local languages online. Bringing them online is not only a matter of equity, it is also a tremendous business opportunity.”

“Creating a truly multilingual Internet takes all of us and will benefit all users,” said UASG Chair Ajay Data. “By launching the first UA Day we call on everyone to join our effort to make the Internet accessible for people in their own languages and scripts.”