New restrictions on .in registrations take effect in January 2026. Some of the most important restrictions follow:
Registrant Eligibility Restriction
- Only Indian registrants will be allowed
- Applies to:
- New registrations
- Transfers-in
- Any registrant contact modification on existing domains
- Non-Indian registrants (including NRIs, foreign founders, global companies) will no longer be supported
Restricted Email Providers
- Registrant email cannot use:
- Temporary/disposable email services
- Encrypted/private email services such as ProtonMail, Tutanota, StartMail, Mailfence, Hushmail
- Applies to:
- Registrations
- Renewals
- Transfers
- Contact updates
This will impact many developers, NGOs, startups, and privacy-conscious users.
VPN / Masked IP Restrictions
- Registrant’s real IP address must be captured
- VPN or masked IP usage during registration may lead to:
- Suspension
- Deletion by the registry
- Registrants must be warned to disable VPNs during domain operations
Why This Matters
- Domains are core infrastructure (websites, email, APIs)
- A suspension is not cosmetic—it can take businesses offline
.com remains the most open and least restrictive top level domain. Almost any entity in almost any jurisdiction may register and use a .com domain. Registration takes only minutes with no authority approval required.