Govt wants ICANN to establish internet root server in India

The Indian government has asked ICANN to set up an internet root server in the country, arguing that a nation with one of the world's largest online populations should play a bigger role in the internet's core infrastructure.

In Short

• India's DNS queries currently travel to US-based root servers for resolution
• Officials said wider infrastructure distribution would strengthen long-term internet resilience
• ICANN already operates root server clusters in Singapore, Europe, Egypt and Kenya

India is home to more than a billion internet users. In other words, there are a lot of people in India who have access to the internet thanks to relatively cheap data rates and they are accessing it across a diverse range of devices, but primarily on smartphones. With the growing proliferation of the internet, the government – now – believes that India must have its own dedicated internet root server.

In a new development, the government has asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to set up an internet root server in the country. The argument is that establishing a critical internet infrastructure – root server – locally can strengthen the resilience India’s burgeoning digital ecosystem and improve the way internet traffic is managed. The massive undertaking aligns with the government’s push for Atmanirbhar Bharat and all things – particularly digital – sovereign.

Speaking on the sidelines of the National Internet Exchange of India’s (NIXI) 23rd Foundation Day programme on Friday, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan said the government has been pushing for a root server in India given the country's massive internet user base and the need to build a more resilient internet ecosystem.

"There should be one root server in India to cater to the requirements of the country's huge population," Krishnan told reporters.

But what exactly is a root server, and why does India want one?

Root servers are among the most critical components of the internet. Every time a user types a website address into a browser, sends an email, or performs an online search, a system called the Domain Name System (DNS) helps locate the destination. Root servers sit at the top of this system and help direct internet traffic by translating human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses that computers can understand.

Think of a root server as the internet's master address book. Just like you would look up a friend's name to find their phone number, the internet uses these servers to match a website's name to the correct digital address.

DNS queries originating in India currently route through root server infrastructure located outside the country. ICANN operates root server clusters in locations such as the United States, Singapore, Europe, Egypt and Kenya, but not in India.

The government's argument is that a country with one of the world's largest internet populations should have a greater presence in the internet's foundational infrastructure.

MeitY Secretary said the push is also linked to broader efforts to improve the resilience of India's digital ecosystem.

"This was a long drawn process. There are other ways in which we are making sure that adequate memory is there, mirror sites are there... we are building resilience," he said, adding that internet infrastructure should be more widely distributed across the world rather than concentrated in a handful of locations.

How will this help India?

Hosting root server infrastructure locally could offer several advantages. One key benefit is reduced DNS query response time. Since requests would be processed closer to users, websites and internet services could potentially respond faster. Local infrastructure could also reduce bandwidth consumption and improve network efficiency.

There are cybersecurity considerations as well. A parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, in a report published in February 2024, recommended that India work with ICANN to establish a cluster of root servers in the country. The committee noted that local infrastructure could help improve response times during cyber incidents and allow internet service providers to better contain malware and cyberattacks at network gateways.

For now, the proposal remains a work in progress, with discussions continuing between India and ICANN.

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