.IN Domain Name Registration

🙂 At last, I registered Ananthapuri.in domain, registered with Rediff Business Solutions. [There is a story to write about the process, but in another post!]

.IN domain name costs INR 800 per year. I do not understand this. Why is it costlier than other domains? Why should it be? I feel, Indians should be getting .IN domain registration and basic hosting plans for cheaper rates. After all India is the provider of cheap, but quality software solutions to the world! (though it is just 2% of total world IT expense!) [Update Dec 2007: Rediff now has Rs 199 for first year offer]

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) controls the .IN domain registration. NIXI is a Not-for-Profit Company with the objective of facilitating improved Internet services in India. The INRegistry has been created by NIXI. INRegistry does not carry out registrations itself. Instead, it accredits .IN registrars.

NIXI signed contact with Afilias India to provide enhanced technology for registry services for registration of .IN domain. Afilias provides a shared registration system enabling registrars to submit real-time registration requests, a public WHOIS service, DNS resolution, and will enable all .IN Registry-authorized registrars to offer second and third level registrations.

Previously, The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) was functioning as the registrar for .IN domain.

National Informatics Centre (NIC) is the registrar for gov.in domains, ERNET is the registrar for res.in and ac.in domains, and the Ministry of Defense is the registrar for mil.in domains.