Two decades of NIXI: The quiet engine powering India’s digital future

Two decades of NIXI: The quiet engine powering India’s digital future

From grocery shopping through UPI to smart classrooms in remote villages, much of India’s digital progress over the past two decades has depended on something that most citizens never think about: fast, secure internet infrastructure. At the centre of this invisible but essential ecosystem is the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), which turned 20 on Thursday.

Set up in 2003 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), NIXI has played a key role in ensuring that India’s internet remains local in routing, robust in performance, and ready for future demands. It currently operates 77 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across the country, which help domestic traffic stay within India’s borders — reducing latency, increasing speed, and enhancing security.

A resilient internet, a resilient India

In a statement marking the occasion, NIXI CEO Dr Devesh Tyagi said, “A resilient internet is the foundation of a resilient India. As we celebrate NIXI Day, we renew our commitment to making the internet faster, safer, and more inclusive.”

The importance of the organisation came into sharp focus during the COVID-19 lockdowns. With physical movement restricted, internet traffic surged. Doctors adopted telemedicine, schools transitioned to online learning, and government services remained accessible through digital platforms. Underpinning all of this was an infrastructure designed to cope with scale and crisis — one that NIXI had quietly built over the years.

Beyond speed: trust, inclusion, and language

While speed and reliability have always been priorities, NIXI has also focused on inclusivity and localisation. Through its IRINN division, it is guiding India’s transition to IPv6, which will be essential as the country moves deeper into the era of connected devices, AI, and quantum computing.

It also facilitates domain name registration in Indian languages, supporting .IN and .भारत, helping small businesses and individuals get online in their own scripts and tongues — a step that aligns with the broader push for digital inclusion.

What’s next: smarter, more resilient networks

With emerging technologies reshaping the digital landscape, NIXI is evolving too. Its roadmap for the future includes AI-driven smart traffic routing, IXPs in disaster-prone and underserved regions, deeper collaboration with global internet governance forums, and boosting uptake of vernacular domain names.

This next phase is about preparing the Indian internet for scale, security, and smart infrastructure — while ensuring that no region or user is left behind.

In a world increasingly defined by data, connectivity, and digital dependence, NIXI’s two-decade journey remains largely invisible to the average user. But its impact is felt every day — in the instant UPI payment at a vegetable stall, the buffering-free video class in a village, or a seamless government application process.

As India pushes toward a $5 trillion digital economy, NIXI’s role as the silent enabler of connectivity becomes more critical than ever.