All major banks in India, including State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank, have changed their website domain names.
Earlier, their websites ended with extensions like .com or .co.in. Now, they all use the new .bank.in extension.
This sudden change created some confusion among the public, but it is actually a government-approved move designed to improve the safety of online banking.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced this change to strengthen cybersecurity and reduce the risk of online fraud, especially phishing attacks where scammers create fake websites that look like real bank sites.
Why RBI Introduced the ‘.bank.in’ Domain
The .bank.in domain is different from commonly used domains like .com or .in.
While anyone can buy a .com or .in domain name, only organisations registered with and verified by the RBI can use the .bank.in domain.
This makes it a premium and highly secure domain.
The RBI wants to ensure that customers can easily identify genuine bank websites.
By shifting all banking websites to .bank.in, the RBI aims to protect the public from fake websites and fraudulent activities.
The central bank had instructed all banks, payment operators, and financial institutions to complete this transition by October 31, 2025.
Since the deadline has now passed, almost all banks have switched to the new and secure domain at the same time.
While it may seem sudden to users, this move is part of a long-term RBI plan to improve digital safety.
A Major Step Toward Safer Online Banking
With this change, customers can now be more confident that they are visiting the official website of their bank.
The .bank.in domain serves as an extra layer of protection and is expected to significantly reduce the chances of phishing and online fraud.
