.in vs .com vs .co.in: which should an Indian business choose?

If your customers are mostly in India, choose .in. If you sell worldwide, choose .com. If both are free, buy both and point one to the other so nobody else can take it.

	.in	.com	.co.in
Signals	Indian business	Global, the default	Indian company
Google targeting	Treated as India-focused	Neutral; you choose	Treated as India-focused
Availability of short names	Better than .com	Hardest to find	Often easy
Typical yearly price	About ₹550–₹900	About ₹850–₹1,800	Similar to .in
Who uses it	Shops, startups, government, media	Everyone	Older Indian companies
Memorability	High in India	Highest worldwide	Lower: people forget the "co"

Choose .in when

Your customers, deliveries or services are in India.
You want to rank in Google India; country endings tell Google who you serve.
The .com of your name is taken or costs a fortune.

Choose .com when

You sell to customers in other countries, or run a SaaS, export or content business.
You might raise investment or sell the business someday.
The .com is free at a normal price; it's the most valuable version of any name.

What about .co.in?

It's a fine, often cheaper option, but people tend to forget the ".co" and type .in or .com instead. If you use .co.in, try to register the .in too.

Buy both and redirect

Registering yourname.in and yourname.com costs under ₹2,500 a year combined. Point the second one to your main site with a 301 redirect so all visitors and search value end up in one place.

Questions people ask

Is .in good for SEO?

Yes, for Indian audiences. Google treats .in as targeting India, which helps you rank in Google India and makes it harder to rank elsewhere.

Is .in less trusted than .com?

Not in India. Government services, banks, news sites and thousands of Indian brands use .in. Outside India, .com is more familiar.

Can I change from .in to .com later?

Yes, with 301 redirects, but you'll need to update cards, signage and links. It's easier to choose well now.

Last updated October 18, 2026.