How to Buy a Domain Name in India
To buy a domain name in India, search for an available name, register it under your own details, complete NIXI's identity check for .in names, and pay the yearly invoice in rupees. WebJi®'s indicative bands are ₹500–800 to register a .in and ₹900–1,200 for a .com, before 18% GST.
For first-time buyers in India who want a name registered in their own control, priced honestly and pointed at a website.
knowledge
- Read time
- 4 min
- Sections
- 5
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
How do you buy a domain name in India, step by step?
You buy a domain name in India by searching for an available name, adding it to a registrar's cart under your own details, paying the yearly invoice in rupees, and waiting until the client area lists it as active. Strictly, you rent the name for a term of one year or more and keep it by renewing.
- Search the exact name. Use check domain availability with the extension you want. Continue only when it shows as available; the yearly price appears on the result and again in the cart.
- Add the domain only. Hosting is optional and can be bought later.
- Register it to yourself. Put your own or your company's name, an email you will still read next year and your phone number on the registrant record — not your designer's.
- Complete any identity check. For .in and its second-level names, NIXI requires identity verification; keep personal or business ID ready and finish the check within the window shown. Details are on .IN domain registration.
- Pay in INR. UPI, card, net banking or NEFT. Add your GSTIN before paying if it must appear on the invoice; 18% GST is added to the listed price.
- Confirm it is active. A payment success screen is not the registration. The domain is yours once the client area shows it as active.
Paying from a phone? The guide to buying a domain with UPI walks through that checkout.
How much does a domain name cost in India?
WebJi®'s indicative bands, before 18% GST, are ₹500–800 a year to register a .in and ₹700–1,000 to renew it, and ₹900–1,200 to register a .com and ₹1,000–1,400 to renew it. The exact billing price for each extension is on the domain price list and is confirmed in the cart before you pay.
| Extension | Register (₹/yr) | Renew (₹/yr) | Signals to a visitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| .in | ₹500–800 | ₹700–1,000 | An Indian business or person |
| .co.in | ₹500–900 | ₹800–1,100 | An Indian company |
| .com | ₹900–1,200 | ₹1,000–1,400 | A business with customers in and outside India |
Judge the renewal column. A name you keep for ten years costs nine renewals and one registration, so a cheap first year matters far less than the yearly price after it.
Should an Indian business buy .in, .co.in or .com?
Buy .in when most customers are in India, .co.in when you want the company marker, and .com when you also sell abroad or the .in is taken. No extension ranks better in Google by itself; what matters is how easily customers remember and type it.
- Both .in and .com: registering both protects the brand; point one at the other so there is a single main site.
- Hindi names: a Devanagari address under .भारत is possible — see IDN domain registration.
- Not for sale: gov.in is reserved for government bodies and is not sold commercially.
How do you check a domain name before buying it?
Say the name aloud to someone who has not seen it; if they cannot type it back first time, it is too hard. Then run three quick checks that prevent expensive mistakes later.
- Spelling: no hyphens, digits or doubled letters that vanish when spoken (for example "shopppe").
- Trademarks: search the name against existing brands; a name that copies another business can be taken away through a dispute.
- History: a WHOIS lookup shows whether it was registered before, and an archive search shows what used to be on it.
- Social handles: check the same name is free on the platforms you plan to use.
Naming rules for brand and search are set out in how to choose a domain name.
Who owns the domain after you buy it?
Whoever is named as registrant controls the domain, so that record must be you or your company. If a web designer needs to change DNS, give them the records to add or a delegated login, never the account that holds the name.
WebJi® includes WHOIS privacy on names it registers where the registry allows it; privacy hides personal contacts from public lookup but does not replace the registry identity check. Renewal reminders are sent by SMS, and nothing is charged until you approve the renewal invoice.
What do you do after the domain is active?
Point the domain at the service that should answer for it by setting nameservers or DNS records; propagation usually takes a few hours. On WebJi® hosting, use the nameservers shown in the client area. For a site or mailbox hosted elsewhere, use that provider's nameservers, following how to change nameservers.
Test it: the domain should open the intended site, and a test message should reach a mailbox on the name. Email is a separate product from the domain. Moving a name you already own from another registrar is a domain transfer, not a new purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a domain without buying hosting?
Yes. A domain can be registered on its own and left unused, parked or pointed at a site later. Many people secure the name first, then choose hosting once the website is ready.
Is a GSTIN required to buy a domain in India?
No. Individuals and businesses can register without one. Add a GSTIN only if you want it printed on the invoice to claim input credit on the 18% GST.
Can I register a domain for several years at once?
Yes, when the cart offers a longer term; most extensions allow up to ten years. You pay the whole term upfront and the name still needs renewing when that term ends.
How soon can I use a domain after paying?
Most names show as active within minutes of payment. Allow time for a .in identity check, then a few hours for new nameservers to propagate before the website opens everywhere.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
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