New Delhi, India: As India surges ahead in its digital journey, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) celebrated NIXI Day yesterday, commemorating 22 years of silently powering the nation’s internet infrastructure. Since its inception on June 19, 2003, NIXI has played a foundational role in making India’s internet faster, more secure, and increasingly self-reliant.
Often unnoticed by the average user, NIXI is the invisible engine that ensures the smooth functioning of the country’s internet, keeping traffic local, stabilizing performance during emergencies, and protecting critical digital services.
From Vision to Backbone: Two Decades of Digital Enablement
Established under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), NIXI began with a mission to keep India’s internet traffic within its borders. Today, it manages 77 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across the country, forming the digital skeleton on which apps, e-services, digital classrooms, telehealth, and banking platforms rely.
“A resilient internet is the foundation of a resilient India,” said Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO of NIXI.
“Our aim is to ensure that India’s internet remains local in its routing, global in its credibility, and fully prepared for the future.”
Faster Speeds, Greater Security, Stronger Sovereignty
NIXI’s infrastructure ensures that internet traffic between Indian users and websites is routed domestically, reducing latency, improving load times, and avoiding dependence on international exchange points.
This localized routing also enhances national data sovereignty, keeping sensitive information inside Indian networks and bolstering cybersecurity, a crucial concern amid rising global threats.
In crisis situations—such as natural disasters, undersea cable disruptions, or cyberattacks—NIXI’s robust infrastructure has helped keep India connected when it mattered most.
Driving Future-Ready Technologies
Through its IRINN (Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers) division, NIXI is steering India’s transition to IPv6, the next-generation internet protocol critical for smart cities, IoT applications, and AI-powered systems.
NIXI is also advancing secure internet architecture through tools like Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) to prevent route hijacking and ensure trustworthy data exchange.
Digital Identity and Inclusion at the Core
NIXI is also empowering individuals and businesses to establish a truly Indian digital identity with domain names under.IN and .भारत, enabling web presence in regional languages and scripts.
This focus on vernacular domains and partnerships with local ISPs supports digital inclusivity—bringing underserved communities online and closing the digital divide across rural and Tier-2/3 regions.
NIXI’s Roadmap: Smarter, Stronger, Inclusive
Looking ahead, NIXI is aligning with India’s aspirations in AI, 5G, cloud, and quantum innovation. Its next-phase priorities include:
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AI-enabled traffic routing for intelligent data flow
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Disaster-resilient IXPs in remote regions
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Greater global collaboration in internet governance
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Boosting the adoption of .भारत domains to strengthen digital grassroots inclusion
The Silent Force Behind India’s Digital Confidence
During the COVID-19 pandemic, NIXI’s infrastructure ensured uninterrupted digital access—from remote work and virtual learning to vaccine registration and online payments.
In today’s era of rapid transformation, NIXI remains the quiet but indispensable force enabling India’s digital dreams. While most users never notice the systems behind their everyday internet experience, it is NIXI that ensures things simply work fast, secure, and reliably.
As India aims to become a global digital leader, NIXI continues to build the bridge between ambition and achievement, laying the groundwork for a future-ready internet.