New Delhi, June 19: The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) marked its 23rd Foundation Day on Friday with a renewed focus on strengthening India’s digital infrastructure, enhancing trust in the internet ecosystem, and expanding the country’s participation in global internet governance frameworks.
The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, members of the technical community, academia, and internet governance experts to review India’s digital progress and deliberate on the next phase of internet-led growth in the country.
A major highlight of the celebrations was the launch of four new digital initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency, transparency, and security across India’s internet ecosystem. The platforms were unveiled by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and Chairman, NIXI.
The newly launched initiatives include the IX Portal, myIRINN Portal, .IN Auction Portal, and an AI-powered WHOIS Screening Platform. According to NIXI, these platforms are designed to simplify user interactions, streamline service delivery, and strengthen monitoring and verification mechanisms across the country’s internet infrastructure.
Particularly significant is the AI-enabled WHOIS screening platform, which seeks to improve the integrity of the .IN domain ecosystem by identifying suspicious registrations and strengthening domain verification processes. The initiative comes at a time when concerns over cyber fraud, malicious websites, and digital trust are increasing globally.
The Foundation Day celebrations also recognised organisations and stakeholders whose contributions have played an important role in expanding India’s internet infrastructure and supporting the growth of the country’s digital ecosystem.
Addressing the gathering, Shri S. Krishnan said that as digital technologies become deeply embedded in everyday life, ensuring trust, resilience and security across the internet ecosystem has become increasingly critical.
“As digital technologies become deeply integrated into our daily lives, building trust, resilience and security across the Internet ecosystem becomes increasingly important. NIXI has played a vital role in strengthening India’s Internet infrastructure while enabling greater participation in global Internet governance discussions. Together, we must continue working towards an Internet that is safe, reliable and accessible for all,” he said.
Samiran Gupta, Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), highlighted the importance of India’s growing role in global internet governance.
“As India’s digital ecosystem continues to expand, it is important that we strengthen our participation in global Internet governance and standards discussions. 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,” Gupta said, adding that NIXI had made a significant contribution to India’s digital transformation and would continue to strengthen the country’s standing within the global internet community.
Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY, underscored the need to build indigenous capacity in internet technologies and standards development.
“As India strengthens its position in the global digital landscape, it is essential that we actively contribute to Internet governance and standards discussions. Through initiatives such as the NIXI Fellowship Programme, funding support for projects in Internet technologies, and fellowships that enable participation in forums such as the IETF, we are helping build the next generation of Internet leaders who will shape a secure, inclusive and resilient digital future,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Devesh Tyagi, Chief Executive Officer, NIXI, said the next phase of India’s internet growth would be driven by trust, innovation and wider participation.
“The internet’s next phase in India will come down to three things: trust, innovation, and ensuring that people from every part of the country can participate. It is no longer only about getting people online; it is about creating opportunities for citizens, businesses, startups and institutions to thrive in a digital-first world,” he said.
Over the past 23 years, NIXI has emerged as a key institution in India’s internet architecture. The organisation currently manages more than 39 lakh .IN domain names, operates 79 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across the country, and supports domain registrations in 22 Indian languages. India has also recorded an IPv6 adoption rate of approximately 78.34 per cent, placing it among the leading countries globally in the transition to the next-generation internet protocol.
The emphasis on multilingual internet access, domestic traffic exchange, and indigenous digital infrastructure aligns closely with the government’s broader vision of building a secure, resilient and inclusive digital ecosystem as part of the Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap.
Established under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, NIXI has played a central role in managing India’s country-code top-level domains, facilitating domestic internet traffic exchange, and promoting wider adoption of internet technologies. As India’s digital economy continues to expand, the organisation is expected to play an increasingly important role in ensuring the resilience, security and accessibility of the country’s internet infrastructure.
