New Delhi, Oct 27 ,2025, Sky Link Times:
In a landmark step to combat rising online fraud, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated all banks in the country to migrate their official online portals to a verified and exclusive internet domain — Bank.in by October 31, 2025.
The move, first proposed in February and opened for registrations in April 2025, is part of the central bank’s larger initiative to enhance cyber resilience and consumer trust in India’s rapidly expanding digital banking ecosystem.
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Why RBI Introduced the .bank.in Domain
The RBI’s decision comes amid an alarming surge in cyber fraud and phishing scams targeting bank customers.
According to the RBI Annual Report for FY2025, the total value of reported banking frauds jumped to ₹36,014 crore, nearly three times higher than the previous fiscal year.
While loan-related frauds contributed to the bulk of this amount, digital payment frauds — involving cards, UPI, and internet banking — accounted for 56.5% of all reported cases.
Separate data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) estimated that Indians lost over ₹7,000 crore to online scams in just the first five months of 2025.
The majority of these victims are first-time digital users in semi-urban and rural areas, where awareness of phishing risks remains low.
How New Banking Domain Strengthens Cybersecurity
The .bank.in domain will act as a Restricted and Verified Top-Level Domain (TLD), available only to RBI-licensed banks.
This means that no unverified entity can purchase or use a .bank.in address, thereby eliminating fake banking URLs that mimic genuine sites.
The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) has been appointed as the exclusive registrar for .bank.in domains, ensuring stringent verification of applicants.
The RBI’s goal is to create a simple rule for consumers:
➡️ If the website doesn’t end with .bank.in — it’s not your bank’s official website.
This one-step verification will drastically reduce phishing incidents, fake portals, and spoofed banking pages designed to steal credentials.
Global Standards and Digital India Alignment
RBI’s adoption of a restricted banking domain mirrors similar global initiatives, such as the .bank TLD used in the US and other advanced markets.
This puts India’s financial sector on par with international cybersecurity standards, reinforcing its image as a secure digital economy.
The .bank.in rollout also supports the government’s Digital India and Financial Inclusion mission — ensuring every citizen can access online banking safely and confidently.
Migration Deadline: October 31, 2025
All Indian banks have been instructed to complete their migration to the .bank.in domain by October 31, 2025.
Customers will soon see banks redirecting traffic from their legacy websites (like .co.in, .org, .com) to their new verified .bank.in addresses.
Example:
- State Bank of India → sbi.bank.in
- Punjab National Bank → pnb.bank.in
- HDFC Bank → hdfc.bank.in
- Tripura State Co-Operative Bank Ltd→ tscb.bank.in
Tripura State Co-operative Bank becomes India’s first co-op bank to adopt RBI’s new .bank.in domain, strengthening online banking security.
This uniform digital identity system aims to make online banking simpler, safer, and instantly verifiable for all users.
Tripura State Co-operative Bank Sets a National Example
By migrating to the verified .bank.in domain, TSCB has enhanced its cyber resilience, ensuring that its customers enjoy secure, encrypted access to all online banking services.
The bank’s new digital identity now serves as a symbol of trust and transparency, aligning with RBI’s vision of building a safe and inclusive digital financial ecosystem for India.
This move also makes Tripura one of the first states in India where a co-operative financial institution has achieved full compliance with the RBI’s cybersecurity framework.
ALSO READ : Tripura State Cooperative Bank to Launch Continuous Clearing and Settlement
Public Awareness Campaigns to Follow
The RBI has advised all banks to educate customers about the domain transition through SMS, email alerts, and website notifications.
Citizens are urged to verify URLs before logging in and to rely only on .bank.in portals for secure transactions.
Officials noted that this initiative represents India’s strongest cybersecurity upgrade since the rollout of UPI, marking a new phase of digital trust and consumer protection in banking.
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