India Considers Changing its Name to Bharat: Impact On .IN Domains

As discussions surrounding the name change of India to “Bharat” gain momentum, interesting developments have sparked conversations throughout the country. The conversation began with the distribution of invitations for a G20 dinner scheduled for September 9. What caught everyone’s attention was the use of “President of Bharat” of the President of India.” Moreover, a special session of Parliament in the future has fueled speculation that the government might introduce a resolution to change the nation’s name from “India” to “Bharat.”

How Changing the Name of India to Bharat Can Impact .in  Domains on the Web?

This transformation goes beyond a change in name. This could potentially create an identity crisis for websites using the.IN domain extension.

Before delving into its implications for.IN domains it is important to understand the context of both India and Bharat. Currently, these names are used interchangeably as, per Indian Constitution guidelines. In English, we refer to the country as India while in Hindi it is called Bharat. If these speculations turn into reality both English and Hindi will adopt Bharat as its name.

Now let’s shift our focus to the domain names used in India. The domain extension “.in” indicates that a website’s domain name was registered with INRegistry, which is an organization established by NIXI. Additionally, there are subdomains, within “.in” that are reserved for purposes. For example “gov.in” is used by the government and “mil.in” is used by the military. Although choosing a top-level domain (TLD) may seem insignificant in today’s web landscape it actually plays a role in indicating the origin of a website. For instance “.CN” signifies a website “.US” indicates a website and “UK” denotes a British website.

If India were to adopt the name “Bharat” online it would be wise to introduce a TLD that aligns with the country’s identity. Initially, TLDs like BH, BR or BT might seem like options. However, these TLDs are already assigned to Bahrain, Brazil and Bhutan respectively. While one could consider requesting these nations to share their ccTLDs with India this would be an uncertain process. Alternatively creating a TLD, like BHARAT or BHRT could serve as a solution. However, implementing changes raises practicality and feasibility questions that need examination.

It’s important to highlight that any potential transition, from India to Bharat won’t cause any problems for websites using IN domains. These websites will remain accessible on the internet and users will be able to connect with them. The main concern here revolves around the identity associated with IN domains. If the country’s name changes will IN domains still be seen as Indian? Will their digital identity undergo a transformation? The business and online communities are closely observing this development as it may require adjustments in branding and online presence, for websites.