NIXI and ICANN Collaborate with MeitY to Strengthen India’s Participation in New gTLD Program
New Delhi, 6th November 2024 – The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), successfully hosted a roundtable conference on the ICANN Applicant Support Program (ASP) as part of the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) initiative. The event, held at the Mirza Ghalib Chamber, Scope Complex, welcomed key stakeholders and industry leaders to discuss the program‘s impact and encourage participation among eligible organizations.
The ICANN Applicant Support Program aims to provide assistance—both financial and otherwise—to organizations seeking to apply for new gTLDs, particularly those from underserved regions. The initiative is aligned with the broader New gTLD Program, scheduled to open in April 2026, which will expand the internet‘s namespace, fostering greater diversity and accessibility on the web.
The roundtable, attended by prominent representatives including Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO of NIXI, Sh. Samiran Gupta, Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director, Asia Pacific at ICANN and Sh. T Santhosh, Scientist-F, Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MeitY) highlighted the role of gTLDs in creating safer, mission-driven online spaces. The conference also provided a platform to address questions on the application process and requirements, ensuring potential applicants have a clear path to participation.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Devesh Tyagi emphasized NIXI’s commitment to building a more inclusive internet environment in India. He noted, “NIXI, in collaboration with ICANN and MeitY, is dedicated to supporting Indian organizations in joining the global digital landscape through initiatives like the New gTLD Program. We believe this will empower local businesses and communities to shape their online presence in a meaningful way.” Additionally, he added, “While speaking at the roundtable conference with rollout of the new gTLD program and application support for local languages, we’re on track for significant advancements in the coming year.”
The roundtable served as an informative session for eligible organizations, with guidance on the application process and support available through ASP. Representatives also addressed the advantages of gTLDs, which consist of three-letter strings (e.g., .org or .com) added at the end of a domain name to signify the purpose or mission of a website. With the upcoming expansion of gTLDs, this program stands to enable organizations to secure unique online identities that align with their goals.
As a knowledge partner, ICANN shared insights on the program‘s framework and the technical and administrative processes involved in applying for a new gTLD. Sh. Samiran Gupta, Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director, Asia Pacific at ICANN, stated, “ICANN shares insights on how corporate and nonprofit organizations can leverage the Applicant Support Program. Together, we can strengthen our internet community!”
Sh T. Santhosh highlighted “the Applicant Support Program (ASP) as a valuable opportunity for India that should be actively pursued for greater participation of Indian stakeholders in global internet governance forums.”He suggested that “NGOs and foundations should engage with the ASP to explore gTLD opportunities, especially to connect with non-Latin-speaking Indian audiences via Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)”. Sh. Santhosh emphasized the importance of promoting Indian languages in ICANN documentation and policy development processes and noted that domains like “.bharat” enhance India’s global visibility. The new gTLD program, he argued, could enable organizations to apply for multilingual domain strings, furthering India’s digital presence.