India Gears Up for Internet Naming Revolution as ICANN Prepares New gTLD Round
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 19: After a 12-year pause, ICANN -- the global internet governance body-- is reopening its New gTLD application window in 2026. This program will once again allow businesses, cities, and organizations to apply for their own domain name extensions, marking a rare opportunity to secure long-term digital autonomy.
At the recently concluded ICANN83 Policy Forum in Prague, a visibly stronger Indian presence -- comprising government officials, internet governance leaders, and domain name experts -- signaled growing interest from India in participating meaningfully this time.
"This program gives Indian companies a rare opportunity to own a permanent digital identity," said Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), who led the Indian delegation. "We believe DotBrands can play a key role in advancing digital trust, security, and self-reliance."
While international corporations like Google (.google), Microsoft (.microsoft), and Barclays (.barclays) already operate their own extensions, India's footprint in the last round was modest. Only a handful of Indian companies applied, and even fewer moved forward with active usage.
The current momentum seems different.
"Compared to 2012, there's significantly more clarity and preparedness now," said Samiran Gupta, ICANN. "We're seeing more Indian stakeholders engage early -- from brands and banks to technical and policy professionals."
Among those involved in building that readiness is Venkatesh Venkatasubramanian, an independent New gTLD Consultant who attended ICANN83 as part of the Indian delegation. His work focuses on helping organizations understand the implications and process behind operating their own top-level domains.
"For many, the idea of owning a domain extension still sounds abstract. But once you see how .brand domains create trust, eliminate phishing, and put digital control back in the hands of the business, it becomes a very tangible asset," said Venkatesh, New gTLD Consultant at NewgTLDProgram.com.
With the application period expected to be open for just 90 days in 2026, stakeholders emphasized the need to begin preparations well in advance -- especially for enterprise-scale applicants who will need legal, technical, and operational planning.
"This isn't a last-minute decision -- applying for a DotBrand New gTLD requires months of planning, detailed documentation, and technical readiness. With the window expected to be open for just 90 days, brands that want to apply need to start preparing now -- and that's where the right consultant can make all the difference," Venkatesh added.
As India continues to invest in digital infrastructure and champions the narrative of an open and secure internet, the coming year could be pivotal in reshaping how Indian brands stake their presence in the global domain space.
Imagine brands like Zomato using order.zomato, CRED offering pay.cred, or Adani Group launching portals like infra.adani -- all within a secure, brand-owned ecosystem. These DotBrand domains reduce dependence on .com, enhance customer trust, and give companies complete control over their digital infrastructure. India's growing digital maturity, coupled with its emphasis on Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India, makes the timing ideal.
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