Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, emphasizing India’s rich reading culture. The theme, ‘Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom@75’, along with the participation of countries like Qatar and Spain, added significance to the event. Pradhan also launched the book ‘The Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857’ in multiple languages and a video presentation on the same.
The Minister highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in promoting reading as a people’s movement. He stressed that the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ underlines the importance of knowledge in nation-building beyond just infrastructure and technology. Pradhan commended NBT India for organizing the Book Fair and expressed optimism about its impact on the country’s reading culture.
The event witnessed the presence of dignitaries from Qatar and Spain, including the Ministers of Culture from both countries. The Minister of Culture from Spain emphasized the historical literary ties between Spain and India, especially through writers like Juan Ramon Jimenez and Rabindranath Tagore. Qatar’s Minister of Culture highlighted the event’s role in strengthening bilateral relations through cultural exchanges.
The New Delhi World Book Fair, organized by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, is set to be the world’s largest B2C book fair. With over 1,000 publishers from 35 countries, 600 events, and 1,000 speakers, the fair is expected to draw more than 2 million visitors. Entry to the book fair, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, is free for the first time, making it accessible to a wider audience.
