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How to Buy and Register a .in Domain Name
If you want to register .in domain name options such as yourbrand.in or yourbrand.co.in, the process takes about ten minutes. The details that matter come later: who the domain is registered to, what renewal costs, and what happens if a payment fails. Here are the rules, the steps and the traps.
What a .in domain actually is
The short answer: To register a .in domain, search for the name at a registrar accredited by NIXI (the .IN registry) or one of its resellers, add it to your cart for 1 to 10 years, enter your own accurate contact details, and pay. Anyone in the world can register .in and .co.in; only zones such as .gov.in, .ac.in and .edu.in are restricted to qualifying Indian organisations.
.in is India's country-code domain. It is run by the .IN Registry, operated by NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India) in New Delhi. You never buy directly from NIXI. You buy from a registrar, a company accredited by the registry, or from a reseller that works through one.
Who sits between you and your domain
NIXI cannot edit your records itself. Every change goes through your registrar, so the registrar you pick matters.
The registry publishes its list of accredited registrars. Many well-known hosting companies sell .in names as resellers; that is normal and fine, as long as your domain is registered in your name.
.in, .co.in and the other options
There is more than one way to end an Indian domain. The main ones a business will consider:
.in
The short, second-level name, like yourbrand.in. The most recognised Indian option and the one most people type.
Best for most businesses.co.in
A third-level name, like yourbrand.co.in. Often available when the .in is taken, and slightly cheaper at registry level.
Good fallback.net.in, .org.in, .firm.in and more
Dozens of other open zones, including state names like .delhi.in. Rarely worth it except to protect a brand.
.gov.in, .ac.in, .edu.in, .res.in
Restricted zones reserved for qualifying Indian government, academic and research organisations.
Not for ordinary businessesThe rules you need to know
The .IN rules are simpler than many people expect. The registry's policy page sets out the essentials:
- Anyone worldwide can register .in, .co.in and the other open zones, with no Indian address required
- Registration for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 10 years
- Domains are set to auto-renew at expiry at registry level (your registrar still has to be paid)
- Transfer to another registrar at any time after the initial lock period (registrars commonly apply 60 days)
- One- and two-character .in names, which are reserved
- Restricted zones like .gov.in without qualifying status
- Fake, outdated or disposable-email contact details
- Privacy or proxy registrations that hide the real owner
The registry also states that KYC is mandatory under CERT-In directions issued under Section 70B of the IT Act, and runs an eKYC portal for registrars. In practice your registrar may ask you to verify your identity or details. Use real information from day one so a check never puts your domain on hold.
How to register a .in domain, step by step
People often search "how do i buy domain name" as if it were complicated. It is not. The same steps work for .in, .co.in or .com:
- Shortlist two or three names
Short, easy to spell, easy to say over the phone. Avoid hyphens and numbers that people will mishear.
- Search at a registrar or reseller
Check the .in first, then the .co.in and .com. If the .in is taken, look at what is on it before you settle for a variation.
- Choose the term deliberately
Compare the renewal price, not only the first-year offer. Two or three years upfront protects you from a missed renewal early on.
- Register it in your own name
Put your business (or you) as registrant, with an email address you control and will keep. Not your developer's, not a staff member's personal Gmail.
- Decline what you do not need
Skip add-ons like paid privacy (which .in does not allow anyway) and bundles you have not asked for.
- Secure the account
Turn on two-factor login, keep the domain locked, and turn on auto-renew with a card or balance that will not expire.
Once it is registered, you point the domain at your hosting by changing nameservers or DNS records. If those words are new, our guide to website hosting in India explains how a domain and hosting fit together, and shared hosting vs VPS helps you pick the server side. A domain is a small line in the overall budget; website design cost in India covers the rest.
What a .in domain costs
The registry charges registrars a fixed wholesale fee per domain per year, and registrars add their own margin. As of November 2026, NIXI's tariff page lists:
| Item | Price as of November 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| .in wholesale (registry to registrar), per year | ₹500 | NIXI tariff |
| .co.in, .net.in, .org.in wholesale, per year | ₹400 | NIXI tariff |
| Restore fee in redemption (registry to registrar) | ₹1,000 | NIXI tariff |
| Hostinger .in retail, first year | ₹1 + GST | Hostinger |
| Hostinger .in retail, renewal per year | ₹899 + GST | Hostinger |
The Hostinger figures come from its official .in pricing page. They show the usual pattern: a near-free first year, then a normal renewal price. Prices change often, so check the official pages before you buy. We review the company itself in our Hostinger review.
A simple rule: judge a registrar by its renewal price and its control panel, not by the first-year deal. You will pay the renewal every year for as long as the business exists.
Renewal and expiry: where businesses lose domains
Most lost domains are not stolen. They expire because the renewal email went to someone who left, or the saved card had expired.
What happens if you do not renew
Grace and redemption lengths vary by registrar, so check yours. Restoring in redemption costs far more than renewing on time.
- Renew for several years at a time
- Use a role email such as admin@ that more than one person can read
- Add the expiry date to your calendar with a reminder a month before
- Keep the domain and hosting logins in your company's password manager
WHOIS privacy and ownership
With .com domains you can buy a privacy add-on. With .in, privacy or proxy registrations are not permitted: the registrant record must be the real owner. The registry does hide personal contact fields, such as your phone and email, from public lookups, while details like an organisation name, state and country can still show.
So there is no reason to pay for a "privacy" upsell on a .in name. What matters more is who is listed as owner. If your developer registered the domain under their own name, ask them to change the registrant to your business now, while the relationship is good. Our hosting and maintenance service starts by moving domains and logins into the client's own name for exactly this reason.
Never share your registrar password or the transfer (auth) code with anyone you do not trust completely. The auth code is all it takes to move your domain to another registrar.
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone register a .in domain name?
Yes. The .in, .co.in and other open .IN zones are available to anyone worldwide, with no Indian address needed. Zones such as .gov.in, .ac.in, .edu.in and .res.in are restricted to qualifying Indian organisations.
Should I choose .in or .com for an Indian business?
If your customers are mainly in India, a .in works well and is often easier to get in a short form. If you can, register both and point one at the other so nobody else takes the second.
How do I buy domain name and hosting together?
Many hosts sell both and include a free domain for the first year with longer hosting plans. That is convenient, but check the domain's renewal price and make sure it is registered in your name, so you can move hosting later without losing the domain.
Is WHOIS privacy available for .in domains?
Privacy and proxy registrations are not permitted for .in, so the real owner must be listed. The registry already hides personal contact fields from public lookups, so there is no need to pay for a privacy add-on.
What happens if my .in domain expires?
Your website and email stop working. You usually get a grace period to renew at the normal price, then a redemption period where a restore fee applies. If you still do not renew, the domain is deleted and anyone can register it.
Can I transfer my .in domain to another registrar?
Yes. Registrars commonly block transfers for 60 days after a new registration or a previous transfer; after that you need the auth code from your current registrar, and the transfer normally adds a year to the registration.
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