RBI’s Big Digital Banking Update: Banks to Shift to .bank.in Domain – What It Means for You (2025)
📌 Why Did RBI Take This Decision?
Over the past few years, online banking fraud has increased sharply. Hackers create fake bank websites that look similar to the real one and trick users into entering login details. RBI analysed that most scams happened due to:
- Look-alike domain names (e.g., sbii.com, hdfcbakn.co.in)
- Fake banking portals
- Phishing SMS & emails
- Customers getting confused between real and fake URLs
To eliminate this confusion, RBI decided to provide a uniform and highly secure domain only for licensed banks.
📌 What is .bank.in Domain?
.bank.in is a highly secure domain extension reserved only for regulated banks in India. This domain:
- Layers of security (DNSSEC, strict verification)
- Cannot be purchased by anyone
- Issued only after RBI & regulatory approval
- Hard for scammers to copy
It will now become the digital identity of banks, like government websites use .gov.in.
📌 Which Banks Will Shift to .bank.in?
RBI’s mandate applies to all types of Indian banks, including:
- Public Sector Banks (SBI, PNB, BoB, etc.)
- Private Sector Banks (HDFC, ICICI, Axis, etc.)
- Small Finance Banks
- Regional Rural Banks
- Foreign Banks operating in India
📌 Example of Upcoming Changes
Here’s how websites will change:
- Old: sbi.co.in → New: sbi.bank.in
- Old: hdfcbank.com → New: hdfc.bank.in
- Old: icicibank.com → New: icici.bank.in
Banks will redirect old URLs to new ones, but users should update their saved bookmarks.
📌 How Will This Reduce Frauds?
Currently, fraudsters buy similar domain names like:
- sbii-login.com
- axisbnk.net
- pnb-online.co
These fake sites look exactly like the real bank login pages. With .bank.in:
- Fake websites cannot use this domain
- Scammers cannot register similar names
- Customers get a single, trusted URL format
📌 What Will Change for Customers?
Customers will experience:
- Improved online security
- Instant identification of genuine banking sites
- Less confusion and fewer chances of falling for phishing
- More trust in digital banking
Banks will announce their migration dates through:
- SMS & email alerts
- Official websites
- Mobile banking apps
- Social media posts
📌 What Should You Do as a User?
- Always check for .bank.in before entering login details
- Update your browser bookmarks
- Do not click banking links from WhatsApp/SMS
- Use only official apps from Play Store / App Store
- Report any suspicious website to your bank immediately
📌 Timeline: When Will This Change Happen?
As per the current directive:
- Phase 1 (Jan–June 2025): Domain registration & testing
- Phase 2 (July–Dec 2025): Migration of major bank websites
- Phase 3 (Early 2026): Full implementation for all banks
Banks will run both old and new domains during transition but promote .bank.in as the primary one.
📌 Does This Affect Net Banking Apps?
No. Mobile banking apps will continue as usual. Only the **website URL** is changing.
📌 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. Will I need to register again for net banking?
No. Your login ID & password remain the same.
Q2. Will bank apps change their name?
No. Only the website URL changes.
Q3. Can scammers still make fake pages?
They can try, but copying .bank.in is impossible.
Q4. Will old URLs stop working?
Eventually yes, but during 2025-26 both will work with redirects.
📌 Final Conclusion
RBI’s move to shift banks to a secure .bank.in domain is one of the biggest steps in India’s digital banking security. This will significantly reduce online frauds and give customers a trustworthy platform for internet banking.
Stay connected with Banking Learners for the latest banking updates, exam notes, and financial awareness.
