For safer digital banking, banks to move to domain “Bank.in” by October 31, 2025, says RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to move their net banking websites to the exclusive internet domain — ‘.bank.in’. The RBI issued a circular in this regard today and has asked banks to commence the migration of their existing domains to the ‘.bank.in’ domain and complete the process at the earliest and in any case, not later than October 31, 2025. The change in domain was announced to curb online fraud and boost public confidence in digital banking. This initiative was announced on February 7, 2025 as part of efforts to enhance the cybersecurity framework in the financial sector, especially in light of the rising incidents of digital payment fraud.

Having a specific “bank.in” domain will help to enhance online security, minimize phishing attacks, and strengthen confidence in digital banking and payment systems.

According to RBI circular today, “Please refer to para 4 of the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies dated February 7, 2025, on "Enhancing Trust in the Financial Sector through 'bank.in' and 'fin.in' domains" wherein the introduction of exclusive Internet Domain, ‘.bank.in’ for banks to combat the increased instances of fraud in digital payments was announced. This initiative is aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity framework and enhancing public confidence in digital banking and payment systems.

“It has now been decided to operationalise the ‘bank.in’ domain for banks through the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which has been authorised by National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to serve as the exclusive registrar for this domain. Banks may contact IDRBT at sahyog@idrbt.ac.in to initiate the registration process. IDRBT shall guide the banks on various aspects related to application process and migration to new domain,” said the circular.

The RBI, at the time of announcing the exclusive domain on February 7, 2025, said, “The Reserve Bank shall implement the 'bank.in' exclusive Internet domain for Indian banks. Registration for this domain will commence in April this year to prevent banking fraud. Subsequently, the ‘fin.in’ domain will be launched for the financial sector.”

FAQs related to ‘.bank.in’ domain

1. What is the ‘.bank.in’ domain?

The .bank.in domain is a secure and exclusive internet domain introduced by RBI specifically for Indian banks to help curb digital payment fraud and enhance trust in online banking services.

2. Who launched the ‘.bank.in’ domain?

The initiative was launched by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with domain registration and operational support provided by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), under the authorization of National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and MeitY.

"The operationalisation of the ‘.bank.in’ domain marks a significant step forward in India’s efforts to secure its rapidly growing digital financial ecosystem. With this initiative, the RBI is setting a new benchmark in cybersecurity by creating a trusted, exclusive domain that banks must adopt. This move will drastically reduce cyber threats, phishing attacks, and fake banking websites, which have been major sources of financial fraud. This fixed domain will simplify verification for consumers and tech platforms to more easily identify legitimate banking websites and apps. It’s a simple yet powerful mechanism to boost public confidence in digital transactions," says Ankit Ratan, Co-founder & CEO, Signzy.

3. Why is this domain being introduced?

This domain aims to:
Strengthen the cybersecurity framework in the financial sector
Help customers easily identify genuine banking websites
Prevent phishing and spoofing attacks through fake banking domains
Increase public confidence in digital banking systems

"In the long run, this initiative could save the Indian banking sector billions of rupees by preventing fraud and financial losses. It also opens the door to innovations in collaboration with browsers, such as a ‘Financial Secure’ tag for verified banking domains, further safeguarding users. As India’s digital economy expands, such proactive cybersecurity measures are not just welcome—they’re essential," says Ankit Ratan.

4. How can banks register for the ‘.bank.in’ domain?

Banks need to contact IDRBT at sahyog@idrbt.ac.in. IDRBT will guide them through the registration and migration process.