Indian Debating League and IIT Delhi to host the 2027 edition, bringing 70+ universities, 21 countries and around 300 debaters and adjudicators to India
NEW DELHI, 22 September 2026: India has been selected to host Australs 2027, one of the Asia-Pacific region’s most prominent university debating championships and the second-largest university debating tournament globally after the World Universities Debating Championship. The championship is proposed to be held at IIT Delhi in June 2027, marking the first time India will host the international Australs community.
The successful bid has been led by the Indian Debating League (IDL), with the support of IIT Delhi, and will bring together approximately 300+ university debaters and adjudicators from 21 countries and 70+ universities. The championship will place India at the centre of a major international exchange of ideas, bringing together young thinkers from across the Asia-Pacific region to debate issues shaping an increasingly complex global order.
The 2027 edition is expected to explore contemporary themes including geopolitical shifts, technology and society, global governance, economic transformation and international cooperation, with the final tournament themes and motions to be announced closer to the event.
India’s selection follows an international bidding process and builds on a growing regional legacy for Australs, which was hosted by Indonesia in 2024, China in 2025 and Australia in 2026. Bringing the championship to India represents a significant milestone for the country’s debating ecosystem and its growing engagement with international university debating.
“As AI reshapes the world of work, employability will increasingly depend on originality of thought, judgment and the courage to challenge the obvious. At IDL, we believe debating creates that space for young people to take intellectual risks and lead alongside technology. We salute the entire debating community whose passion, dedication and achievements have helped us bring this win for India. Through Australs 2027, we celebrate that collective success and look forward to shaping the future together,” said Kamal Kashyap, Co-Founder & CTO, Indian Debating League.
The significance of Australs 2027 extends beyond the tournament itself. Hosting the championship will bring a diverse international debating community to India and connect Indian universities and students with peers from across the region. It also strengthens New Delhi’s position as a potential destination for international academic and intellectual exchanges.
“We are proud to bring the AustralAsian community to India for the first time in the championship’s 52-year-old history. Hosting it in India provides debaters from across the country a unique opportunity to test their mettle against the best thinkers of our generation. Platforms such as Australs will power India’s youth to think critically yet constructively and participate increasingly in global forums of youth advocacy and leadership,” said V Sayiram, a highly accomplished debater serving as the convener of India Australs 2027.
Australs traces its origins to 1975, when it was established at the University of Sydney as an Australia–New Zealand university debating competition. Over five decades, it has expanded into a major Asia-Pacific championship, attracting university debaters and adjudicators from across the region.
“Debating is such an important activity for young people to develop critical thinking, learn about the world, and engage in cross-cultural communication. We’re so excited to bring Australs to India for the first time in 2027 and to further increase the reach of the tournament, especially as India remains one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with ever-increasing prominence in the region,” said Ally Pitt, Chief Adjudicator, Australs 2027.
With India confirmed as the host for 2027, IDL and IIT Delhi will begin preparations covering international participation, tournament programming, institutional engagement and associated events. Further details on participating countries and universities, tournament format, themes, programme and related events will be announced in the coming months.
The hosting of Australs 2027 marks an important moment for India’s place in the international debating landscape—moving beyond participation in global competitions to welcoming the international debating community to India and creating a platform for cross-border intellectual exchange at scale.
About Indian Debating League
The Indian Debating League (IDL) is a pan-global debating and public-speaking organisation connecting 100,000+ debaters, educators and institutions across 50+ universities and 150+ tournaments. Recognised by GESF Dubai, Inc42 and Singapore EdTech, IDL is the official partner and host for the Harvard College Debating Union, Oxford Schools and Cambridge Schools Regional Qualifiers, works closely with the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships and has supported Indian participation at the World Universities Debating Championships for the past three years.
Students trained through its programmes have earned accolades at Princeton, LSE, the Oxford Union, Stanford and Harvard Invitationals. Through AugLi.ai, its interactive debating platform, IDL enables the scaling of these 21st-century skills across geographies.
About Australs
The Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships (Australs) is an annual university debating championship bringing together participants from across the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1975 at the University of Sydney, it has evolved from an Australia–New Zealand competition into one of the largest annual university debating championships in the region and the second-largest university debating tournament globally after the World Universities Debating Championship.
Australs follows the Australia–Asia debating format and provides a platform for university students from different countries to engage with contemporary issues, exchange perspectives and compete at an international level.
