Indian Govt looks to attract MSMEs to Indian internet domain .in with these incentives.

Technology for MSMEs: “Ownership of adoption of .in internet domain is aimed for building internet infrastructure and related services within the country for non-stop availability of internet services, at any stage, in any situation,” MeitY said.

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/sme/msme-tech-govt-looks-to-attract-msmes-to-indian-internet-domain-in-with-these-incentives/3022445/

In India, the most popular domain name extensions are .in, .co.in, and .com. Here's a brief overview of each:

1. .in - The .in extension is the official country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for India. It is widely used by businesses, organizations, and individuals in India.

2. .co.in - The .co.in extension is a second-level domain (SLD) under .in, which is commonly used by businesses that operate in India. It is a popular choice for companies that want to establish a local presence in India.

3. .com - The .com extension is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) that is widely used worldwide, including in India. It is a popular choice for businesses that want to establish a global online presence.

Other domain name extensions that are commonly used in India include .net, .org, and .edu.in (used by educational institutions in India). However, .in, .co.in, and .com are by far the most popular and widely recognized domain extensions in India.

Domain Name Opus.co.in was reported to have sold on the platform Daaz , for $2100 . Meanwhile based on Whois information, Opus.in was also in transfer mode. A quick check on google revealed that Opus.in was listed fro $2980 on Sedo website, although we have no confirmation yet. This sale could be released in the coming week.

Either way, both domains appear to be purchased by same buyer, adding to strategy that all brands should acquire both .in and .co.in extensions upfront. Not doing so , could lead to brand confusion in the marketplace and possible domain name disputes in the future. Internet users in India are familiar with both domain extensions and could type in either extensions as a matter of habit.

A quick check on .com domain shows that Opus.com is listed for sale for a price of over $2 million. Using various factors such as Domain Name extensions registered, overall search volume, brandable domain strength and rarity of the domain name, one could argue the sale prices for .in and .co.in are quite low and its a steal for the buyer.

The domain name BusinessInsider.co.in changed hands for $7000. Bought by Business Insider Inc (New York) . BusinessInsider.in is owned/operated by Times Internet in India, the acquisition is most likely to add to their website. This is typical approach by many business to acquire both .in and .co.in extensions for India (Sold on Sedo.com)

INDRP dispute Complainant - Tickets Worldwide (UK) , Respondent - India Portals (India)

Excellent arbitration in this INDRP concerning a Generic Descriptive Domain Name - Tickets.in 

Full Details https://www.registry.in/s3-assets/IOsrp1Wvh4oiPu7mSqk2.pdf

Shown below are the arbritration key points pertaining to the domain name and could be applied to future INDRP disputes for Descriptive Generic Keyword Domains .

Some key points:

1) Owning a TM of Generic Keywords in by itself is not enough, you will need to show/prove the TM Word has a Secondary Meaning as applied to your business. 2) Owning several generic domain names is a legitimate business practice 

Arbitrator : Ankur Raheja