India’s central bank is launching a unique “.bank.in” domain for banks starting April 2025 as part of its efforts to combat rising digital payment frauds and enhance trust in online banking services.

The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) will act as the exclusive registrar for the new domain, according to the Reserve Bank of India, which announced this in a statement on Wednesday. The central bank plans to introduce a separate ‘fin.in’ domain for non-bank financial institutions.

“Increased instances of fraud in digital payments are a significant concern,” said RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, adding that the new domain system aims to reduce cyber security threats and malicious activities like phishing. The move comes as India faces a surge in digital payment frauds and predatory lending apps.

The central bank stated that it will issue detailed guidelines to banks separately for the new initiative, which is designed to help users distinguish legitimate banking websites from fraudulent ones.