India aims for double-digit growth in .in, .bharat domain registrations

As India crosses the 4 million registered user base in the .in and .bharat top-level domains (TLDs), the government is now aiming for double-digit growth in registrations. Senior officials said the National Internet Exchange of India (Nixi) will need to step up outreach and marketing campaigns to drive adoption.

 

“I would not put a number to it, but we plan to see the growth in double digit for sure,” said Sushil Pal, joint secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). He was speaking on the sidelines of the 85th ICANN conference in Mumbai.

 

Pal also added that Nixi will have to come up with a massive outreach and marketing strategy to promote these domain names.

 

 

“I think if companies get registered in India and they get a .in domain, while it is good for the country, it is good for them as well. One, it gives an identity to a firm that it is an Indian company. Two, since the registrar of the domain name is in India, any issue can get resolved instantly,” he said.

 

Pal also highlighted that one of the most important features of a .in domain is the presence of full KYC verification and two-factor authentication.

 

“For citizens, it then becomes an assurance that this is a trusted website,” he added.

 

The push comes as India’s internet ecosystem expands rapidly. The country has grown from around 200 million internet users in 2013 to nearly 1 billion today, adding roughly 100 million users every year.

 

However, Pal said that as more users come online, security risks and malicious activities are also increasing, requiring stronger safeguards across the internet’s infrastructure.

 

The emergence of newer technology, which is outpacing adoption by the government and enterprises, is posing a fresh challenge. “When it comes to AI the concern is whether agents can start using the internet and generate content… these risks are there. Since the internet is a layered structure, the cybersecurity approach also needs to be layered,” added Pal.

 

By expanding access to domain registrations and increasing awareness about .in and .bharat, the government hopes to strengthen India’s digital identity while ensuring that the internet remains secure and accessible to a growing base of users.