RBI’s rule on bank website: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to start a new internet domain called ‘.bank.in’ for Indian banks to make digital banking safer and more secure. This step will help protect people from online scams and fake websites.
In a recent circular, the RBI said, “It has now been decided to operationalise the ‘.bank.in’ domain for banks through the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which has been authorised by National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to serve as the exclusive registrar for this domain.”
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This means only IDRBT will manage and register the new domain name for all banks. RBI also shared that banks can contact IDRBT directly at [email protected] to start the registration process. The institute will also help banks understand how to apply and move their websites to the new domain safely.
How the New Domain will Help?
The new ‘.bank.in’ domain is designed to create a safer online space for Indian banks. It will make it easier for customers to know whether they are on a real or fake banking website. With more people using digital payments every day, RBI believes this step is important to build more trust in the banking system.
In an earlier statement released on February 7, 2025, the RBI explained, “This initiative aims to reduce cyber security threats and malicious activities like phishing; and, streamline secure financial services, thereby enhancing trust in digital banking and payment services.”
The central bank also said that the IDRBT will act as the exclusive registrar, and the registration process for banks will officially begin in April 2025. RBI mentioned that detailed guidelines for banks will be shared separately.
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Bank Domain Change
- State Bank of India: https://sbi.bank.in
- ICICI Bank: https://www.icici.bank.in/
- HDFC Bank: https://www.hdfc.bank.in/
- Axis Bank: https://www.axis.bank.in/
- Kotak Mahindra Bank: https://www.kotak.bank.in/en/home.html
- Punjab National Bank: http://pnb.bank.in & http://ibanking.pnb.bank.in
- Bank of Maharashtra: bankofmaharashtra.bank.in
- Federal Bank: http://federal.bank.in
- IDFC First Bank: idfcfirst.bank.in
RBI has also revealed plans to create another special domain in the future for other financial institutions that are not banks. The statement said, “Going forward, it is planned to have an exclusive domain viz., ‘fin.in’ for other non-bank entities in the financial sector.”
