During the NIXI event, S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, emphasized the necessity of having a root server in India to serve the vast population’s needs.
“We have been advocating for a root server to be situated in India considering the enormous number of internet users and for the long-term resilience of the internet system itself,” Krishnan stated.
A root server is essential to the internet, linking users to websites.
Whenever any internet user enters a website name, sends an email, or performs an online search, the request is sent to root servers based in the US, which function like an exchange, locating the website or URL on the World Wide Web and connecting the user accordingly.
Many governments have been calling for root servers to be established within their territories. Additionally, some have expressed concerns regarding security risks and cyber espionage due to the servers being centralized in a single country.
When inquired about the progress and ICANN’s feedback, Krishnan mentioned that the process of situating servers in India is a lengthy one.
“We are exploring other methods to ensure sufficient memory and the existence of mirror sites. We are enhancing resilience; it’s not solely about that resilience, but from a broader internet governance perspective, it’s crucial that infrastructure is distributed globally,” Krishnan added.
