If India becomes ‘Bharat’, what will happen to .in domain websites?

The use of the term "President of Bharat" on official G20 Summit invitations has caused a stir. This move, which comes just days ahead of a special session of Parliament, has raised political tensions. The term "Bharat" has also been used in a G20 booklet for foreign delegates titled "Bharat, The Mother of Democracy." While it is being hotly debated, this decision might also impact the technology industry. If it does become official, websites with ‘.in’ domain are expected to have an identity crisis.  

Websites with .IN domain

A Top-Level Domain (TLD) helps to identify the geographic location of a website. India has “.In”. UK has “.UK”, China has “.CN”, the US has “.US” and so on. This can be helpful for businesses that want to target a specific audience or for users who are looking for information about a particular country or region. For example, a user who is looking for information about Indian businesses or products would be more likely to visit a website with the .in TLD.

Certain subdomains are reserved exclusively for government use, like “gov.in” or “mil.in” for the Indian military.

If the official name of India changes to “Bharat” then there is a chance that the domain name for these websites will also change. Options like “.BR” or “.BH” are already taken by Brazil and Bahrain respectively. “.BT” is also taken by Bhutan. If long TLDs are permitted, there is a chance that our country might opt for “.BHRT” or “.BHARAT”.

Notably, this is not expected to affect the operations or existence of the websites, as they will continue to work as is. The change is only going to be in the nomenclature of the websites.

Also Read: 

Apple Wonderlust event 2023: From iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 to Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods Pro 2, what to expect

Excitel launches broadband plans with free Smart TV and 200-inch projector screen: Price, benefits, and more