New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 Hosts Millions Through Free Entry, Concludes With Over 20% Increase In Footfall

The 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, organised by the National Book Trust, India, reported a 20% rise in footfall and a 30% increase in book sales following a new free-entry policy. The nine-day event drew 1,000+ speakers, 1,000+ publishers from 35+ countries, and featured a major Indian Military History pavilion, expanding access and international collaboration.

Drawing large crowds till its final day, the 53rd edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 concluded today with around a 20% increase in footfall compared to last year, underscoring the success of its first-ever free entry initiative. The move enabled greater participation from students, families, and young readers, transforming the Fair into a truly inclusive public celebration of books and ideas. Organised by the National Book Trust, India, under the Ministry of Education, the nine-day Book Fair hosted over 1,000 publishers from 35+ countries and 600+ curated events featuring 1,000 speakers. Last year, the NDWBF had witnessed a footfall of over 2 million.

Publishers across categories expressed that the introduction of free entry led to higher footfall, wider audience reach and improved sales. National Book Trust’s book sales rose by 30%, reflecting increased engagement and buying intent among visitors. Many publishers observed a more relaxed and engaged readership, with families, students and first-time visitors spending more time at stalls and showing stronger buying intent. Children’s and general interest publishers reported increased discovery of titles, sustained interest across age groups and better overall volumes.

This year, as a new initiative, NBT, the organisers of NDWBF, awarded Certificates of Appreciation to various publishers who showcased innovative stalls. The recipients of these certificates included Qatar, the Guest of Honour Country; Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Notion Press, Rajkamal Prakashan; HarperCollins, Pegasus, and V K Global.

Held from 10 to 18 January 2026, NDWBF 2026 witnessed the participation of over 1,000 publishers from more than 35 countries, curated 600+ events and featured 1,000+ speakers, drawing an estimated 2 million-plus visitors from across India and abroad. Readers, students, families, authors and publishing professionals thronged the Fair throughout its duration, creating a lively and inclusive literary atmosphere.

One of the major highlights of NDWBF 2026 was the 1000 sq metre Theme Pavilion – "Indian Military History: Valour & Wisdom @75", which emerged as one of the most visited and widely discussed spaces at the Fair. The pavilion showcased over 500 titles on Indian military history and hosted 100+ curated sessions, featuring life-size replicas of the Arjun Tank, INS Vikrant and LCA Tejas, along with exhibitions documenting the lives and contributions of 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.

The thematic sessions covered a wide spectrum of subjects, including ancient Indian war wisdom, first-hand accounts from the Kargil conflict, "Sam and Sagat" – a session celebrating two iconic military leaders, the role of the Indian Navy, women in the Armed Forces, "1971: Veterans Recount the Making of a Nation", and a panel discussion on the legacy of Major Rama Raghoba Rane, Param Vir Chakra awardee. Senior officers and veterans from the Army, Navy and Air Force engaged audiences through discussions on leadership, national security and service to the nation. The pavilion also received visits from the Chief of the Army Staff and the Chief of the Naval Staff, who toured the exhibits and interacted with visitors. The Chief of the Naval Staff urged citizens to cultivate the habit of reading, expressing satisfaction at seeing young readers from the "Kindle generation" actively engaging with books, while the Chief of the Army Staff interacted with children readers, reinforcing the importance of knowledge, discipline and curiosity among the youth.

NDWBF 2026 was inaugurated by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, in the presence of the Hon’ble Ministers of Culture from Qatar and Spain. Among dignitaries who visited the fair were Shri Amit Shah, Hon’ble Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation; Shri Bhagwant Mann, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab; Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Culture and Tourism; General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces; General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff; Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff; Gen (Retd) V.K. Singh, Hon’ble Governor of Mizoram; Shri R. N. Ravi, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu; Shri N. Indrasena Reddy, Hon’ble Governor of Tripura; Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, former Union Minister; Maj Gen (Dr) Bipin Bakshi; Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi among others It also featured an impressive lineup of authors, thinkers and public figures, including Shubhanshu Shukla, Ricky Kej, Smriti Irani, Hema Malini, Jaya Kishori, Kailash Satyarthi and many others, drawing packed audiences across sessions.

International participation was a major highlight of NDWBF 2026, with Qatar as the Guest of Honour Country and Spain as the Focus Country, anchoring a wide-ranging programme of global literary and cultural exchange at the International Events Corner. Delegations and cultural practitioners from 35+ countries including Spain, Austria, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Japan, Turkey, Chile and many more engaged audiences through sessions on literature, lived experience, nature and coexistence, memory and displacement, translation and cultural adaptation, multilingual poetry, children’s literature, theatre and performance, and the ethics of artificial intelligence in literary translation. Spanish literary traditions were explored through discussions on modernist poetry and cross-cultural influence, alongside multilingual poetry readings in Spanish, Basque, Catalan, Asturian, Bengali and Hindi, underscoring linguistic diversity as a strength of contemporary literature. Cultural exchanges with the Gulf region, led by the Guest of Honour Country Qatar, highlighted shared narrative traditions and the resonance of Indian literary and theatrical forms in West Asia. Sessions also examined historical and intellectual connections between India and Iran, postcolonial memory in Central Asia, contemporary literary responses to migration and displacement, and approaches to presenting complex histories for young readers. Collectively, these engagements reinforced the New Delhi World Book Fair’s role as a global platform for sustained literary dialogue, cultural understanding and international collaboration.

Children and families remained at the heart of NDWBF 2026. The Children’s Pavilion – "Kidz Express" hosted a wide range of activities including storytelling, theatre, art and craft workshops, quizzes, Vedic Maths sessions, book design workshops and interactions with child authors. NDWBF 2026 also strengthened its role as a key B2B platform through initiatives such as CEOSpeak and the New Delhi Rights Table, facilitating rights exchanges among 70+ Indian and international publishers. Evenings at the Fair came alive with cultural performances by Ricky Kej, the Manganiyars, Rahasya the Project and bands from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, along with popular contemporary music performances, drawing large audiences to the amphitheatre.

A National Festival of Books Concludes

As NDWBF 2026 draws to a close, it stands as a reaffirmation of Hon’ble Prime Minister's vision that "when citizens read, the country leads." The overwhelming public response, enhanced accessibility and international exchange witnessed during the Fair underscore the growing strength of India’s reading culture as a knowledge economy. Building on this momentum, the National Book Trust, India, is excited to welcome readers, publishers, and authors to the next editions of New Delhi World Book Fair, taking place from 16 to 24 January 2027. The fair will feature an even richer programme of books, ideas, and cultural dialogue, and entry will once again be free for all visitors.