Identity crisis: What happens to .in websites on internet if India becomes Bharat?

There have been multiple speculations as to the next move from Raisina Hills: India to be officially known as Bharat. It all began after the picture of a G20 dinner invitation landed on social media that read, “President of Bharat”, and people began wondering if the Centre is eyeing a name change.

Another instance took place when a separate document made it to social media referring to PM Modi as Prime Minister of Bharat. It corroborates with reports suggesting a potentially big thing might be in the works, hinting at a 6-day special session of the Parliament. However, if the centre prioritises Bharat globally, would they likely replace the “.in” too? These are called TLDs and build up the authority of a nation.

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‘India, that is Bharat’

As citizens, we refer to our country as both. The Constitution says, “India, that is Bharat,” and even the National Anthem mentions Bharat, “Jan Gana Mana Adhiyanak Jaya Hey, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata.” The term – “Bharat” – has been in literature records for ages.

Importance of (.in), or TLDs

A Top-Level Domain (TLD) is like a website’s location tag. India uses “.in,” the UK uses “.uk,” China uses “.cn,” and the US uses “.us.” It helps businesses reach their desired audiences, and users find country-specific information.

More likely, if someone sees “.in” on the website, they figure out its Indian connection. And, not to be forgotten that “gov.in” or “mil.in,” are reserved for government or military use.

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If not (.in), what then?

If India changes its name to Bharat, it may need a new web address ending. Unfortunately, several options such as (.bh) for Bahrain, (.br) for Brazil, and (.bt) for Bhutan have already been taken and used by other countries. Could there be negotiations with Bahrain, Brazil or Bhutan to get these domains, only time will tell that. However, it’s highly implausible and not a piece of cake either.

One option is talking to these countries to get those endings, but that’s not very likely. Another idea is to make new endings with “Bharat,” like (.bharat) or (.bhrt), for a unique online identity.

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