National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity and Governance

Why in News?

Recently, NIXI celebrated its 23^rd Foundation Day including the launch of 4 new digital platforms.

NIXI – National Internet Exchange of India

Nature – Not‑for‑profit organization under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Established – June 19, 2003.
Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Purpose – Facilitate efficient exchange of domestic internet traffic, manage domains, and allocate IP addresses through IRINN (Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers).

Key Functions

NIXI manages 3 foundational pillars – IRINN, IXP, and INRegistry.
IRINN (The Numbers) – Allocates IP addresses (IPv4/IPv6) and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) for networks to function and route traffic.
IXPs (The Pipes) – Runs 79 Internet Exchange Points across India, where networks connect and exchange traffic locally, reducing latency and bandwidth costs.
INRegistry (The Names) – Manages India’s domain names, including .in and .भारत registries.
Multilingual Support – Provides domain names in 22 Indian languages.
IPv6 Adoption – India achieved 78.34% penetration, making its network future‑ready.
Security Initiatives – Migration of banking platforms to “.bank.in” zone; AI‑powered WHOIS screening for domain trust.

Digital Platforms

IX Portal – Streamlines operations of Internet Exchange Points across India.
myIRINN Portal – Simplifies IP address allocation and Autonomous System (AS) number registration.
.IN Auction Portal – Enables transparent auctioning of premium “.IN” domain names.
AI‑Powered WHOIS Screening Platform – Strengthens domain name security by detecting suspicious websites and enhancing trust in India’s “.IN” domain space.

References