ICANN's New gTLD Programme: Empowering Local Businesses

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) Global internet body ICANN's second round of issuing generic top-level domain names to enable entities to book any new website extension to empower local businesses and communities to shape their online presence in a meaningful way, a top official of the National Internet Exchange of India said on Tuesday.

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which oversees internet resources, has started the process for the second round of generic top-level domain (gTLD), which will pave the way for new generic website name extensions other than .com, .net, and .org, among others.

The first phase opened in 2012 and led to new extensions like .news, .store, .business, .club etc.

"NIXI, in collaboration with ICANN and MeitY, is dedicated to supporting Indian organizations in joining the global digital landscape through initiatives like the New gTLD Programme. We believe this will empower local businesses and communities to shape their online presence in a meaningful way," NIXI CEO Devesh Tyagi said at a joint roundtable with ICANN officials on the ICANN Applicant Support Program (ASP).

The application of a new gTLD will cost applicants about Rs 1.9 crore per gTLD, and the allocation will begin in mid-2026.