Climate

February marks the transition from winter to spring in Delhi, bringing mild and pleasant weather ideal for sightseeing. The month is characterised by clear, sunny days and comfortably cool nights. With temperatures ranging from approximately 10.6°C to 23.5°C and nearly 11 hours of sunlight daily, February offers an excellent opportunity to explore the city’s historical landmarks, lush gardens, and vibrant culinary scene. The cool breeze and low humidity further enhance the comfort of outdoor activities throughout the day.

Clothing

There is no particular dress-code for the conference. There are no clothing restrictions in the city as well, however use your discretion and dress appropriately when visiting public places. Religious places in the city (temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras) might have dress code restrictions.

Currency

The official currency is the Indian Rupee (INR). Major credit and debit cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and mobile wallets like Paytm, Google Pay, and PhonePe are extensively used for seamless digital transactions across the city. Currency exchange services are available at the airport and authorized forex centers. You may check for the same at your hotel too.

Payments

Visa and Mastercard Credit and Debit cards are generally accepted in all major hotels and shops. American Express has limited acceptance. Point of sale machines that accept cards with chip and PIN.

However, you are advised to confirm the merchant if they would accept cards beforehand.

UPI (United Payments Interface) is widely used in India for digital payments (using QR codes or phone numbers).

Language

The official language of the conference is English. The local language predominantly spoken in Delhi is Hindi, while English is commonly used in business, academic, and hospitality settings. International delegates will have no difficulty communicating in English at the airport, hotels, and at the venue as Hindi and English both are widely spoken in the city.

Time Zone

Indian Standard Time (IST) is observed throughout the country and is UTC +5:30. India does not observe daylight saving time.

Local Commuting / Transport

Transportation from the New Delhi Airport, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Terminals 1, 2 & 3 is easy with multiple options available. The airport is 15 kms from the conference venue ‘Vivanta New Delhi, Dwarka’ with a travel time of about 25 minutes, depending upon the time of the day.

  • Airport Taxi - Taxi Service is available from IGIA to Vivanta New Delhi, Dwarka (conference venue) and in/around downtown. You will see the counters right outside the arrival terminal.
  • Uber/ Ola services (radio taxis) are also available to pick up from airport at the arrivals. For more info you can approach their counters at the airport. For Ola and Uber, we would request you to download the app prior to the arrival at the airport.

For movement in the city, taxis and autos are easily available in Delhi.

  • Delhi Metro is, clearly, the quickest, affordable and one of the best ways to get around New Delhi. However, kindly confirm if the metro covers the place you want to visit.

Visa

International participants are required to obtain a Conference Visa to attend the event. The organisers will get in touch with you for further information/ instructions.

The official portal to apply for the same is www.indianvisaonline.gov.in. 

Electricity

India uses Type C, D, and M power sockets with a standard voltage of 230V and frequency of 50Hz. International visitors may need a plug adapter and/or voltage converter.

Safety and Security

  • Personal Safety: Delhi is a safe city to travel and visit. However, please take care of your belongings while using public transport, avoid venturing alone late at night to unknown or deserted places, and exercise basic caution and use your judgement to be safe.
  • Follow the same rules of safety that you follow while travelling anywhere else with respect to using hotel safe deposit boxes and keeping travel documents safe. When in public places, keep them in your hotel or with you all the time when moving about. Always carry the hotel address with you when you leave the hotel.
  • It is common to ask passersby for directions when confused/lost and people are usually helpful.

Road and Pedestrian Safety

The rules of the road are simply very different here in India. Indian roads can be chaotic - please be mindful of vehicular traffic. City traffic generally is much slower than in some other parts of the world, and it is very common to see animals amongst moving traffic. Use great caution when crossing streets - pedestrians usually do not get the right of way while crossing roads. Horn blowing is deemed precautionary and is a constant 24-hour reality. Please do not expect sidewalks/footpaths and zebra crossings to be available on all roads.

Water

Always drink bottled water. Do not drink water from the tap. However, tap water is safe to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi connectivity is available at most cafes, restaurants and shopping malls. We suggest you get an Indian SIM with data connection. 4G mobile data is cheap (costs around ₹500 for a connection valid for a month with a 2GB/day limit) and would be very useful.

Smoking

All public areas are non-smoking except for specifically labelled smoking areas.

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumption in public areas is prohibited. Pubs, bars, and restaurants typically serve alcohol until 11 PM. After this time, guests may continue to enjoy alcoholic beverages via room service within the hotel

Insurance and Liability

The organizers do not take responsibility for any individual, medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are advised to secure their own insurance policies before departure from their countries, as required.

While every attempt is made to ensure efficient, trouble-free hospitality, including hotel accommodation, sightseeing and tours, participants are advised that no liability accrues to the Organizers in the event of any necessary modifications, including change in itineraries for tours due to delays or cancellations of flights/other exigencies beyond the Organizers' control.

Guidance about Customs

  • While entering India, in addition to the personal belongings such as clothes, toiletries, laptops, mobile phones, cameras, and reasonable personal-use electronics; Duty-free items like alcohol (up to 2 litres) and cigarettes (100 sticks) are within allowed duty-free limits. Gifts and other items up to the duty-free allowance and foreign currency – unlimited amount can be brought in, but above USD 5,000 (cash) or USD 10,000 (cash + traveller’s cheques) must be declared. Prescription medicines for personal use (with a valid prescription) can also be carried.
  • While exiting India, Indian currency up to ₹25,000 (for residents) and foreign currency purchased from an authorised dealer within the limits allowed by RBI (e.g., USD 3,000 in cash for personal travel) is allowed. Gifts/ Items purchased in India with proper bills; high-value items may require declaration at customs. While duty-free items purchased at the airport after immigration (alcohol, perfumes, chocolates etc.) within airline/foreign-country limits is allowed.

Food and Drinks

The historical capital, Delhi is a foodies’ paradise. From street food to international cuisines, Delhi, or as we lovingly call ‘Dilli’, can blow your mind in every expanse.

  • Please note that tap water is unsafe and must be avoided. Most hotels/restaurants provide filtered/RO water which is safe to drink. During the conference, water dispensers with clean and safe drinking water will be made available.
  • Be careful about the provenance of what you eat. Steer clear of uncooked or unpeeled fruit and vegetables outside the hotels / quality restaurants. Do sample local restaurants too, but use your discretion with regards to hygiene and food quality.
  • We suggest that you eat meats only in hygienic restaurants.
  • We suggest that you do not eat fried food cooked in the streets – unless you are confident of your digestive system

Tipping and Gratuities

Tipping Practices are similar to most other parts of the world. Most restaurants include a service charge of 10% in the bills, but tipping in general is at customers’ discretion which could vary from 5% to 10%. The local currency is preferred while tipping.