India Unveils Four Digital Platforms to Secure Internet Infrastructure as NIXI Marks 23 Years

20th June, New Delhi

India has launched four new digital platforms designed to enhance the transparency, security, and operational efficiency of its national internet infrastructure, as the country seeks to position itself as a global leader in the governance and management of the digital ecosystem.

The initiatives were unveiled by S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Chairman of the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), at an event in Delhi marking NIXI's 23rd foundation day.

The new platforms, the IX Portal, the myIRINN Portal, the .IN Auction Portal, and an artificial intelligence-powered WHOIS screening system, represent a concerted effort to modernise how India's internet traffic is managed, how domain names are allocated, and how suspicious online activity is detected.

Boosting Domain Security

The AI-powered WHOIS screening platform has been positioned as a critical tool in the fight against cyber threats.

WHOIS databases contain registration details for domain names, and the new system will use machine learning to analyse this data in real time, flagging potentially suspicious websites that operate within India's .in country-code domain.

With NIXI currently managing more than 3.9 million .IN domain names, officials said the platform would strengthen oversight of one of the fastest-growing domain spaces in the world.

The .in domain has become increasingly attractive to domestic businesses, government bodies, and entrepreneurs as India pushes its "digital-first" economic agenda.

The .IN Auction Portal, meanwhile, is designed to bring greater transparency to the process of acquiring premium domain names.

Domain auctions have historically been opaque in many jurisdictions, and Indian authorities said the new portal would ensure a fairer, more open system for businesses and individuals seeking valuable web addresses.

Modernising Infrastructure Management

The IX Portal and myIRINN Portal target the operational backbone of India's internet.

The IX Portal is expected to streamline how Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), physical infrastructure through which internet traffic is exchanged, are managed and monitored.

NIXI currently operates 79 such exchange points across India, a significant expansion from its early years and a key factor in keeping domestic internet traffic within the country's borders, reducing latency and costs.

The myIRINN Portal relates to the Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN), which manages internet protocol (IP) address allocations and autonomous system numbers within the country.

By digitising and simplifying these processes, officials hope to accelerate the adoption of modern internet protocols and improve resource allocation for businesses and internet service providers.

A Global Leader in IPv6

One of the less visible but more significant achievements highlighted at the event was India's progress in adopting Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), the latest standard for identifying devices on the internet.

NIXI said IPv6 adoption in India had reached approximately 78.34%, placing the country among the global frontrunners in the transition away from the older, increasingly exhausted IPv4 system.

IPv6 offers a vastly larger address space than its predecessor, essential for connecting the billions of devices that now make up the "internet of things."

India's high adoption rate is particularly notable given the country's scale and the complexity of coordinating upgrades across thousands of internet service providers, government networks, and private enterprises.

Building Human Capacity

Beyond infrastructure, Indian officials emphasised efforts to build expertise in global internet governance.

The NIXI Fellowship Programme, which provides funding and training for Indian professionals to participate in international technical forums such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), was cited as a key initiative.

"As India's digital ecosystem continues to expand, it is important that we strengthen our participation in global internet governance and standards discussions," said Samiran Gupta, ICANN's Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. "Initiatives such as the NIXI Fellowship Programme are helping build a new generation of leaders who can contribute meaningfully to shaping the future of the internet."

Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary at MeitY, added that enabling Indian technologists to participate in forums like the IETF was essential for the country to "shape a secure, inclusive and resilient digital future."

Local Language Inclusion

NIXI also highlighted its work in supporting domain registrations in 22 Indian languages, including the .भारत (.Bharat) country-code top-level domain.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to make the internet more accessible to non-English speakers in a country where linguistic diversity has often been a barrier to digital inclusion.

The Road to 'Viksit Bharat'

The launches come as India pursues its "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision, a national strategy to transform the country into a developed economy by the 100th anniversary of its independence.

Digital infrastructure is seen as central to that goal, with the government betting that a secure, resilient, and inclusive internet will underpin growth in everything from financial services to education and agriculture.

"Building trust, resilience and security across the internet ecosystem becomes increasingly important" as digital technologies become embedded in daily life, Mr Krishnan told the gathering of policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts. "Together, we must continue working towards an internet that is safe, reliable and accessible for all."

NIXI Chief Executive Devesh Tyagi said the next phase of India's internet growth would hinge on three factors:

• trust,
• innovation,
• and making sure people from every part of the country can take part.

"It's not only about getting people online," he said. "It's about giving citizens, businesses, startups, and institutions real chances to grow in a digital-first world."

Background

NIXI was established as a not-for-profit organisation under the aegis of MeitY to facilitate the efficient exchange of domestic internet traffic, manage India's country-code top-level domains, and promote the adoption of internet services across the country.

Over the past 23 years, it has evolved from a niche technical body into a central pillar of India's digital infrastructure strategy.

The organisation's mandate has taken on added significance as India has emerged as the world's most populous country and one of its largest digital markets, with over 800 million internet users and rapidly growing data consumption.

As geopolitical competition over technology standards intensifies, India's efforts to bolster its own internet governance capabilities, and to ensure its voice is heard in global forums, are likely to face continued scrutiny, both at home and abroad.