The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) is hosting the 2nd Global Buddhist Summit 2026, to be held in association with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, from 24–25 Jan 2026, at Bharat Mandapam.
A media briefing was convened on 16 January in New Delhi to share the summit’s theme for this year on “Collective Wisdom, United Voice and Mutual Coexistence” and the enduring relevance of Buddha-dharma in today’s world. In its press release about the upcoming summit, IBC stated that it is “gathering state leaders, Dhamma practitioners and Buddhist Scholars for the summit which holds profound significance in addressing contemporary challenges.”
IBC is the umbrella Buddhist body of India. It serves as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide. It is headquartered in New Delhi, India under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Around 200 delegates including heads of various National Buddhist Sanghas, including Supreme Patriarchs of various countries and other senior dignitaries from abroad, are attending the GBS. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the summit as the Chief Guest as he did during the first Summit in 2023.
Some of the key panellists/speakers include:
- H.H. the 70th Je Khenpo of Bhutan, Tulku Jigme Chhoeda
- H.E. Karma Acharya Laytshog Lopen Sangay Dorji, Bhutan
- H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand
- Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Padma Shri, Member of National Assembly of Vietnam and Vice President & General Secretary of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam
- H.E Gyeltrul Jigme Rinpoche, President of Rigon Thupten Mindrolling Monastery, India
- His Eminence Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Founder, Siddhartha’s Intent, Bhutan
- Most Ven Ashin Kumara, Pro Rector, Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Myanmar
- Prof. Dr. Subarna Lal Bajracharya, Vice Chancellor, Lumbini Buddhist University, Nepal
- Rev. Kosho Tomioka, Director Japan Buddhist Federation, Japan
- Master Shih Jian-Yin, Secretary General, Buddhist Association of Taiwan
- Ven. Ananda Bhante, General Secretary, Mahabodhi Society, Bengaluru, India
- Prof. Robert Thurman, Padma Shri Awardee and Renowned Buddhist Scholar, USA,
- Among many more!
It is expected that the deliberations will explore, as to how the Buddha-dharma’s fundamental values can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings which drives technological advancements and consumerism yet grapples with a devastated planet and rapid disenchantment of societies.
Eminent scholars, Sangha leaders and Dharma practitioners from all over the world will discuss today’s pressing global issues and look for answers in the Buddha-dharma based on universal values.
The discussions will fall under the following five themes:
- Collective Wisdom and United Voice for Social Harmony
- Entrepreneurship and Right Livelihood in Buddha-dharma
- Scientific Research, Healthcare, Medicine and Sustainable Living in Buddha-dharma
- Learning in the Light of Buddha-dharma
- Sangha Dynamics through their Roles, Rituals and Practice in Buddha-dharma
Exhibitions
The other highlights of the event are exhibitions, among two exhibitions on Sacred Relics & Cultural Engagement in Contemporary India and Virasat se Vishwa: India’s Buddha Dhamma Outreach. Additionally, there will be a live demo of Buddhist AI NORBU, which stands for “Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding.” NORBU is a Language Learning Model based on ChatGPT algorithm. Trained on vast amounts of text data, NORBU understands context, semantics, and generates coherent, contextually relevant text responses based on Buddhist teachings in multiple languages across the globe. The IBC adopted Norbu, became its global patron and named it “Kalyan Mitra” (Spiritual Friend), to keep pace with fast changing tech-driven youth.
The 1st Global Buddhist Summit
The previous edition of the Summit was held from 20–21 April 2023 in New Delhi, where Mr. Modi graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The event saw the participation of numerous Supreme Heads of Sanghas from various Buddhist countries, alongside spiritual masters, eminent Buddhist scholars, and other distinguished delegates from across the globe covering 31 countries.
The 1st Global Buddhist Summit brought together over 170 delegates from across the globe, including esteemed members of the Sangha and lay practitioners. Centred around the theme “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis,” the summit fostered meaningful dialogue on applying Buddhist principles to address modern societal issues.