Dear Wikimedia India Community, This communication provides an update regarding *WikiConference India 2025*, which was ultimately cancelled with plans for rescheduling, and the structure of its organizing teams, with an invitation for community engagement. For comprehensive details and future updates, the official meta wiki page serves as the central hub:WikiConference India 2025 - Meta <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiConference_India_2025>.[1]
WikiConference India 2025 was not held as originally planned; it was cancelled due to funding issues.[2] Planning for WCI 2025 began in September 2024 by CIS-A2K with the aim of fostering collaboration among Indic Wikimedia communities, and a Core Organizing Team (COT) was formed, comprising dedicated volunteers and members from the Centre for Internet and Society – Access to Knowledge (CIS-A2K). A significant challenge arose in March 2025 when CIS's FCRA renewal application was rejected, making it ineligible to access the foreign funds received by them for the conference. Following this funding disruption, the COT, operating on a volunteer basis and in coordination with the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), explored alternative options. After careful consideration, the COT decided that a reduced-scale conference would compromise the event's quality and spirit. Therefore, in consultation with WMF, the decision was made to reschedule WikiConference India. Despite the funding setback, substantial preparatory work was completed. This included forming four sub-teams (Design, Operations, Communications, and Collaborations), establishing a diverse COT, holding 36 coordination calls, revising the budget for Kochi as the host city, tracking progress, coordinating with stakeholders and venues, developing a draft theme and branding, re-envisioning the conference under limited funding, and testing various tools for a hybrid event setup. The COT proposes to retain Kochi as the host city for the rescheduled WikiConference India 2026, subject to broader discussion and consensus. The COT reaffirms its commitment to transparent communication, collaborative planning, and inclusive decision-making, and will submit a new funding proposal to WMF. The Indic Wikimedia community will be formally notified when we are ready and preparations for WCI 2026 begin. The preparatory work for WikiConference India 2025 was a direct result of the immense dedication and hard work contributed by all volunteers and organizers. Their collective efforts have significantly contributed to the growth and vibrancy of the Wikimedia movement in India. The COT expresses heartfelt gratitude to all volunteers and contributors for their dedication, energy, and input during this phase. Sincerely, On behalf of the WCI 2025 Organizing Team [1]. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiConference_India_2025 [2]. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:Programs/Wikimedia_Community_Fund/Conference_Fund/WikiConference_India_2025#Grant_canceled
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