To combat the rising tide of digital payment fraud and enhance online banking security, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will introduce exclusive domain names for banks and non-bank financial institutions starting in April 2025.

Banks will be assigned the “.bank.in” domain, while non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) will operate under the “.fin.in” domain. The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) has been designated as the sole registrar for these new domains.

This move comes in response to a significant increase in digital payment fraud incidents, including phishing attacks and predatory lending practices. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra emphasized the need to mitigate these cyber security threats and instill greater trust in online banking services.

The RBI will issue detailed guidelines to banks outlining the implementation process. The dedicated domains are expected to help users easily identify legitimate banking and financial websites, reducing the risk of committing fraud.

This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing the security and reliability of India’s digital financial ecosystem.