PM Modi used the 28th CSPOC in New Delhi to position India’s open source digital platforms as a governance blueprint for the Global South, linking technology sovereignty with parliamentary democracy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) on 15 January 2026 at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House Complex, New Delhi, positioning open-source digital platforms as a key pillar of India’s engagement with the Global South.
Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session, PM Modi underlined India’s commitment to building open-source technology platforms that enable Commonwealth and Global South nations to develop digital governance systems comparable to India’s, while reducing reliance on proprietary technology ecosystems.
“This is the fourth time the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference is being held in India. This year’s theme—‘Effective Delivery of Parliamentary Democracy’—is highly relevant in today’s global context,” Modi said.
Highlighting India’s democratic journey, he added, “When India gained independence, there were serious doubts internationally about whether democracy could survive in a country with such vast diversity. India proved these fears wrong and transformed its diversity into the greatest strength of its democracy.”
On technology and development, Modi said, “India’s continuous effort is to ensure that whatever innovations we make benefit the entire Global South and benefits for Commonwealth countries. We are also creating open-source tech platforms so that our partner countries in the Global South can also develop systems like those in India.”
The conference, hosted by the Parliament of India in coordination with the CSPOC Secretariat, runs from 14 to 16 January 2026 and brings together 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth parliaments.
Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Chairperson of the 28th CSPOC, chaired the Standing Committee meeting on 14 January at the Red Fort. Delegations from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and several other Commonwealth nations are attending, while Pakistan and Bangladesh are not participating.
