New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 Inaugurated by Dharmendra Pradhan
12 January 2026: Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) 2026 on 10th January. Minister of Culture of Qatar, H. E. Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Al Thani, Minister of Culture of Spain, H. E. Ernest Urtasun Domènech; Director General of Books, Ministry of Culture, Spain, Ms. Maria Jose Gálvez ; Secretary, Higher Education, Dr. Vineet Joshi; Chaiman, NBT, Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Director, NBT Yuvraj Malik, distinguished guests from Qatar and Spain and senior officials of the Ministry attended the event.
During the event, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan released the books title “The Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857” including Bangla, Asamiya, Punjabi, Malayalam, Urdu and Marathi. A video on the Saga of Kudopali also screened.
Speaking on the occasion the Union Minister said that NDWBF 2026, the world’s largest B2C book fair, is not only a confluence of ideas but also a grand celebration of India’s robust and vibrant reading culture.He further said that the theme of the Book Fair, “Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @ 75,” and the participation of countries such as Qatar and Spain, have further enhanced the significance of the cultural and literary event.
Pradhan said that the book “The Saga of Kudopali: The Untold Story of 1857,” which brings to light lesser-known chapters of the freedom struggle on the land of Sambalpur, have been released in 9 Indian languages, including Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Marathi, Malayalam and Urdu, as well as one international language, Spanish. He noted that the book was earlier released in Hindi, English and Odia and is now available in 13 languages. He described the book as a commendable effort to honour the legacy of Veer Surendra Sai ji and the sacrifices of the martyrs of Kudopali. The initiative, he added, also strengthens India’s tradition of multilingualism and global dialogue.
Ernest Urtasun Domènech, Hon’ble Minister for Culture of Spain, highlighted Spain’s participation during the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, noting that the Fair offers a valuable opportunity to promote Spanish writers in India, where interest in Spanish language and literature continues to grow. He recalled the historic literary connection between Juan Ramón Jiménez and Rabindranath Tagore.
H. E. Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, Hon’ble Minister of Culture, State of Qatar, said Qatar’s participation reflects the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed the role of culture and knowledge as foundations for people-to-people ties and nation-building.
The world’s biggest B2C book fair, the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), is being organised by National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education, will be held from 10-18 January 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi and entry to the book fair has been made free for the first time. India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) is the co-organiser of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026. Nine-day book fair will bring together 1,000+ publishers from over 35 countries, host 600+ events with 1,000+ speakers and is expected to attract over 2 million visitors.
