April 22, 2025 – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed all banks to transition their existing websites to the ‘.bank.in’ domain by October 31, 2025, as part of a broader initiative to enhance cybersecurity in the financial sector.

According to a circular issued on Tuesday, the RBI has operationalized the ‘.bank.in’ domain through the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which will serve as the exclusive registrar under authorization from the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and the guidance of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Banks have been instructed to initiate the registration process by contacting IDRBT at sahyog@idrbt.ac.in, which will provide support and guidance on the migration.

The move follows concerns over increasing cyber frauds in digital payments. Announced by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra during the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on February 7, 2025, the new domain aims to mitigate threats such as phishing and build greater public trust in digital banking.

Registration began in April, with detailed operational guidelines expected to follow. A separate domain, ‘.fin.in’, is also planned for non-bank financial entities.