Conferences are one of those things you hear about second-hand until you start attending them yourself, at which point you realise how different the actual experience is from the abstract. For a psychiatry resident or a young consultant, the right conference at the right time can shift your thinking on a case pattern you have been seeing, connect you with a supervisor or collaborator, or just confirm that the problems you are dealing with day-to-day are not specific to your hospital. The wrong one, though, costs you four days, a lot of money, and leaves you with a bag full of proceedings you will never read.
This guide is an attempt to map out the major recurring psychiatry and psychology conferences in India, what makes each one worth attending, and a few notes on the international circuit for those who are planning ahead. Dates shift year to year, so we have included the official websites for each; treat the timings here as a starting point for your own research.
The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) is the primary professional body for psychiatrists in India, and its conferences form the backbone of the national CPD calendar. The society runs events at both the national level and through its four regional zones.
ANCIPS (Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society) is the biggest psychiatry gathering in the country, typically held in January or February, rotating between major cities each year. Attendance is usually in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 delegates. The programme runs across three full days and covers everything from biological psychiatry and psychopharmacology to community mental health, forensic psychiatry, and the humanities. Plenary sessions tend to feature senior faculty from Indian institutions alongside a handful of international speakers. There is a significant pre-conference workshop day if you want hands-on skill building alongside the main conference. Registration opens several months ahead, and early-bird rates are genuinely worth catching. Website: indianpsychiatry.org.
IPS Zone Conferences are smaller, more regional affairs run through the Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern zones. They are less crowded than ANCIPS, which means you actually get to speak with faculty rather than just hear them from a distance. Travel costs are usually lower too. For residents in particular, zone conferences often have dedicated resident forums and case presentation competitions that are practically non-existent at the national level. The zone conference schedule is typically spread across the mid-year months: June through October. Check the IPS website and your zone society for current dates.
The IPS also runs its Annual National Conference for Postgraduate Students, a dedicated event aimed at residents doing their MD, DNB, or DM Psychiatry. If you are in the early years of your training and have never attended a national conference, this is the lower-pressure place to start. Case presentations, quiz competitions, and debates are the main draw. Costs are kept low deliberately.
IAPP-CON (Indian Association for Private Psychiatry) is the annual conference of the IAPP, which represents psychiatrists in private practice. It tends to be held towards the end of the year, usually October or November, and the programme reflects the practical realities of running a private practice: outpatient caseload management, psychopharmacology updates, medico-legal issues, and the clinical problems that private practitioners see more of than hospital-based doctors do. If your career involves private practice at any point, this is probably the most relevant single conference in the calendar. Website: iappindia.net.
IACAM (Indian Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health) runs its annual conference usually in the second half of the year. Child and adolescent psychiatry is a subspecialty where the training gap is significant in India, and this conference is the central place where that community meets. If you have any interest in child psychiatry, developmental disorders, or working with school-aged populations, it is worth attending at least once, even if it is not your primary subspecialty. Website: iacam.in.
IACP (Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists) holds its national conference annually and is the main gathering for clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, and neuropsychologists in the country. It is a worthwhile conference for psychiatrists who work closely with psychology colleagues or who are interested in psychotherapy, integrated care, or neuropsychological assessment. The proceedings often cover areas that get minimal airtime at purely psychiatric conferences: third-wave CBT approaches, psychological assessment, and training standards for psychologists. Website: iacp.in.
For those interested in addiction medicine, the Society for the Study of Drug Dependence (SSDD) and the addiction section of IPS both organise standalone meetings. These are particularly useful if your practice includes a significant de-addiction component, since ANCIPS only allocates limited time to substance use disorders despite how common they are in the clinical workload.
NIMHANS in Bengaluru runs a continuous calendar of short courses, workshops, and CME programmes that sit outside the conference circuit but are arguably more practically useful. These range from one-day workshops on electroconvulsive therapy or transcranial magnetic stimulation, to week-long training programmes in psychotherapy approaches. They run year-round, they are well-organised, and the faculty quality is consistently high.
The NIMHANS International Symposium on Mental Health is a larger annual event that brings together researchers and clinicians. It does not always get the publicity that ANCIPS does, partly because it is not membership-driven, but the academic level tends to be high. Check the NIMHANS events calendar at nimhans.ac.in/events and set a reminder to check back every few months since the schedule is updated piecemeal rather than all at once.
Several other major psychiatric institutions run their own CME programmes: PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Pondicherry, IHBAS Delhi, and the Central Institute of Psychiatry Ranchi all organise teaching events that do not make it onto any centralised calendar. The most reliable way to hear about these is from colleagues at those institutions or through the IPS bulletin.
Most Indian psychiatrists attend one or two international conferences over the course of their careers rather than making a regular habit of it. Travel grants are available through the IPS, the WPA, and occasionally through pharmaceutical companies (with the usual caveats about disclosure). Here are the recurring ones worth knowing:
The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) World Congress is the largest psychiatry meeting in the world, held every three years and rotating continents. It is enormous, which has both advantages and disadvantages. The sheer breadth of programme means there is genuinely something for every subspecialty interest. Between World Congresses, the WPA runs regional meetings that are smaller, more focused, and considerably cheaper to attend. The South Asian regional meetings are particularly relevant for Indian psychiatrists. Website: wpanet.org.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress, held every June in the UK, is worth attending if you are interested in NHS practice models, the UK training pathway, or simply want exposure to a different system. It is a reasonable size, well-organised, and the abstracts and workshops are selected more competitively than at some national conferences. Travel fellowships are available specifically for delegates from low and middle-income countries. Website: rcpsych.ac.uk.
The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Congress runs each year in March, rotating between European cities. The research quality is consistently high and the programme leans heavily towards biological psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and neuroscience. Abstract submission deadlines are usually around October for the following year's congress. Website: epa-online.eu.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting is held each May, usually in a US city. It is the largest national psychiatry meeting in the world and the programme range is enormous. The main draw for most international attendees is the continuing medical education component and the industry exhibition. Worth attending once; worth attending regularly only if you have specific academic or fellowship plans in the US. Website: psychiatry.org.
The IPS sends out a printed bulletin to members that lists upcoming events. If you are an IPS member and not receiving it, check that your address and email are updated in the membership database. The IPS WhatsApp broadcast list (via your zone) is often faster for last-minute announcements and early-bird deadline reminders.
A few practical things that take too long to figure out on your own: abstract submission deadlines are typically three to four months before the conference date, early-bird registration closes roughly two months out, and accommodation near the venue fills up fast for ANCIPS in particular since thousands of delegates are competing for the same hotels in the same week. If you are planning to attend and present, plan the abstract first and book accommodation the same week as registration opens.
For residents specifically: CME credits from conferences count towards your MCI/NMC credit requirements, but you need to keep the certificate of participation and confirm that the conference is an accredited event. Most IPS conferences are, but it is worth checking the conference programme for the accreditation details rather than assuming.
ANCIPS, the Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society, is the biggest and most comprehensive. For residents specifically, the IPS Annual National Conference for Postgraduate Students is actually a better fit in the early years of training since it has dedicated case presentation competitions, resident-focused sessions, and lower registration costs. Many residents attend both at different points in their training.
Yes, though they are competitive. The IPS offers travel grants to members presenting original research at international conferences. The WPA also runs a specific travel fellowship programme for psychiatrists from low and middle-income countries. The Royal College of Psychiatrists provides fellowships for international delegates attending its congress. Pharmaceutical company grants are another option but come with declaration and conflict-of-interest obligations that are worth thinking through before applying.
Most major IPS conferences and NIMHANS events are accredited for CME credit by the National Medical Commission. You collect credits by attending accredited sessions and receive a certificate of participation at the end. Keep the certificate: it is your proof of attendance for the credit record. Check the conference programme ahead of time to confirm the event carries NMC accreditation and how many credits it offers, since this varies.
The IPS website at indianpsychiatry.org lists upcoming conferences, though it is not always updated the moment registrations open. The most reliable method is to be on the IPS member email list and follow your zone society. Many conference organisers also announce dates and registration links via the IPS members WhatsApp broadcast before the website is fully updated.
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