The New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 was inaugurated in the national capital, marking the beginning of one of the world’s largest book-to-consumer literary events and reaffirming India’s vibrant reading culture and global literary engagement. The fair opened at Bharat Mandapam and will run from January 10 to January 18, bringing together publishers, authors, scholars and readers from across India and abroad.
Inaugurating the event, the Union Education Minister said the New Delhi World Book Fair is not merely a marketplace for books but a celebration of ideas, dialogue and knowledge. He noted that the theme for this year, Indian Military History Valour and Wisdom at 75, reflects the nation’s gratitude to its armed forces and highlights the role of courage, discipline and strategic wisdom in nation building. The participation of Qatar and Spain as international partners, he added, has further enriched the cultural and literary significance of the event.
On the occasion, the Minister released the book The Saga of Kudopali The Unsung Story of 1857, which documents lesser known chapters of India’s freedom struggle from the Sambalpur region. The book, earlier available in Hindi, English and Odia, has now been released in nine Indian languages including Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Marathi, Malayalam and Urdu, as well as in Spanish. With this, the publication is now available in thirteen languages. The Minister described the work as a tribute to Veer Surendra Sai and the martyrs of Kudopali, and said it strengthens India’s multilingual tradition while taking regional histories to national and global audiences.
He said the Prime Minister has transformed reading into a people’s movement and emphasised that the vision of a developed India rests on building a knowledgeable, thoughtful and culturally rooted society. He congratulated the National Book Trust for organising the fair and said the event would inject new energy into the country’s reading culture.
The Minister for Culture of Spain highlighted Spain’s participation during the Spain India Dual Year 2026, noting that the fair offers a valuable platform to promote Spanish literature in India, where interest in the Spanish language continues to grow. He recalled the historic literary bond between Juan Ramón Jiménez and Rabindranath Tagore as a symbol of long standing cultural exchange.
The Minister of Culture of Qatar said his country’s participation reflects the depth of bilateral relations with India and reaffirmed the importance of culture and knowledge in strengthening people to people ties and nation building.
Organised by the National Book Trust under the Ministry of Education, with the India Trade Promotion Organisation as co organiser, the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 is being held with free entry for the first time. The nine day event will host more than one thousand publishers from over thirty five countries, feature over six hundred literary and cultural events with more than one thousand speakers, and is expected to attract over two million visitors.
A major attraction of this year’s fair is the theme pavilion on Indian Military History Valour and Wisdom at 75, spread across one thousand square metres. Designed as an immersive experience, the pavilion showcases more than five hundred books, curated exhibits, posters, documentaries and installations highlighting the journey of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force since Independence. Replicas of the Arjun tank, INS Vikrant and LCA Tejas, tributes to Param Vir Chakra awardees, and sessions on major military operations form part of the exhibition.
The fair also features special exhibitions marking one hundred and fifty years of Vande Mataram and commemorating the life and legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, reinforcing the blend of history, literature and national identity that defines the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026.
