India to Host World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar

India will host the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from September 15 to 18, marking the first time the event is being held in South Asia.

The forum will be jointly inaugurated on September 15 by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel. The inaugural session is also expected to be attended by Gujarat's Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Arjunbhai Modhwadia, Finland's Ambassador to India Mikko Kivikoski, and Marieke Spijkerboer of the Netherlands' Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, along with senior officials from the central and state governments.

Organised under the theme "Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity," the event is being jointly hosted by the Central Pollution Control Board, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Government of Finland, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

Circularity refers to the reuse, refurbishment and recycling of existing materials and products so they are looped back into the economy as valuable resources. The forum aims to highlight India's initiatives for promoting circularity and to strengthen international cooperation.

More than 2,000 cross-sectoral stakeholders from over 65 countries are expected to take part, including business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, policymakers, academicians and changemakers. Organisers said the forum is intended to enable global collaboration and deeper engagement with the Global South, help mobilise circular finance and private-sector investment, encourage policy dialogue and cross-sectoral partnerships, and advance innovation, digitalisation and technology for circularity.

On September 15 and 16, the programme will feature four plenaries and 16 parallel thematic sessions covering the application of artificial intelligence, employment potential, energy production, finance, governance, sustainable products, industrial solutions, the start-up ecosystem and youth leadership. An international expo with more than 125 national and international exhibitors will showcase practical circular solutions developed by start-ups and investment-ready innovations.

On the sidelines, the Board of the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10 YFP) will hold an in-person meeting in Gandhinagar on September 15. India has recently assumed the role of Co-Chair of the 10 YFP Board.

On September 17 and 18, global collaborators will independently organise 80 accelerator sessions in online, hybrid and in-person formats in Gandhinagar and other locations worldwide.

The closing ceremony is expected to be attended by Gujarat's Minister for Forests, Environment and Climate Change Arjunbhai Devabhai Modhwadia, Finland's Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala, Gujarat Minister of State for Forests and Environment, Climate Change Pravinbhai Mali, and Sitra's Director of International Programmes Kristo Lehtonen, along with senior government officials. The ceremony will conclude with a formal handover to the next host.