Indian companies consider applying to ICANN as it invites applications for new domain names.
You may soon see domain names ending with .tata, .reliance, .bharti, .SBI or even .Mahindra.
With the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), regulator of domain names, inviting applications for new generic top-level domain names (gTLDs), corporate India is going to carve its own identity on the world wide web.
India's largest conglomerate, Tata Group, confirmed with Business Standard it is considering registering .Tata as a domain name.
This means any public or private organisation in the world can give application to create and operate a new domain registry. If .tata gets ICANN's approval, all Tata Group companies can use it in their web address. The Tata Steel web address might read: Http://steel.tata and so on.
| CATEGORIES OF DOMAIN NAMES |
| * Generic names like .shop, .lipstick, .music or .food: This will see the highest competition with bidding in the range of $10-20 million |
| * Brands and corporates: Since they are governed by intellectual property, brands will be given the first option |
| * Geo specific domains: .Mumbai, .Delhi, .Paris |
| Will need approval from local government bodies/state government. |
| * Communities: .PETA, .IIT, .IIM |
Domain names are divided in two segments: generic top-level domains (gTLDs) and country code top-level domains. The former accounts for domain names like .com, .net, .org, and .info, while the latter is country specific like .in (India), .de (Germany) and .uk (UK).
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It is after a decade that ICANN has started accepting new domain names, even amid criticism and concern from several commissions across the globe. While this will increase the number of web addresses by allowing domain names such as .Mumbai, .Delhi, .Coke or even .anything, it has raised concerns over cybersquatting.
Indian corporate houses and domain registrars like Net4 and Directi are also preparing to apply for domain names.
Net4, one of India's leading ICANN and .in registrars, has got confirmations from 20 companies for new gTLDs. "We have got confirmation for 30 gTLDs. Many have also applied for multiple gTLDs. We expect that by April 12--when the application window closes--we would have applications for at least 70-100 gTLDs," said Jasjit Sawhney, founder chairman and CEO of Net4.
While Sawheny did not divulge any names of companies, he said that of the top 100 companies in India, many have approached them.
For the ease of Indian corporates and brands, Net4 has put in place a turnkey service that will provide them with the know-how of the process. Net4 is also applying from a single generic gTLD. "We will make an application for a single generic gTLD and are looking to apply somewhere in February-March," he added.
Directi, another major registrar of domain names in India, is also in the midst of applying for several strings of gTLDs. "The geo-based gTLDs need to be worked out with the local and central government bodies, so we will not be looking into this segment as of now. But, we plan to apply for certain strings in the gTLD segment. We will not apply for any string that has an IP attached to it," said Anirudh Kumar, senior manager, strategy, Directi.
The programme by ICANN that opens on Wednesday will have a 90-day window period (closing April 12) for brands, companies and government bodies to fill in their applications. However, the application alone costs $185,000. If the domain name is approved by ICANN after a strict evaluation, the organisation would need to pay an annual registry fee of $25,000.
With India's internet users touching the 100 million mark in 2011, players like Directi believe there is commercial potential in having generic gTLDs. "We do see a fair amount of interest in India. When .Org and .Com were launched, India's internet growth was low, so many have missed the opportunity to have interesting domain names. But, with many building their business online, we see a great potential," says Anirudh Kumar.
While the Indian corporate sector is actively looking into this, this cannot be said of the government bodies. When contacted, the Department of Information Technology said none of the local government bodies have approached it. "While local bodies or state governments do not need to approach us, we have not heard of anyone approaching ICANN for a geo-specific domain name from India," said Dr Govind, senior director and CEO, National Internet Exchange of India.
In the past, there have been efforts to register .Mumbai as a domain name, however the Mumbai mayor's office did not allow it. "Some private organization, through wrongful means, had fabricated a letter from the mayor's office and submitted to ICANN, but the mayor's office clarified," said a source from the Maharashtra IT department.
Among the first movers, US-based Public Interest Registration has applied for .NGO. According to its web site, .NGO will be the exclusive domain for local and global non-governmental organizations looking to advance their missions. Domain name .NGO will provide immediate recognition to organisations pursuing a cause.