.in or .com: which should an Indian business choose?

What .in says

.in is India's own extension. It tells a customer you are an Indian business, and it is a natural fit when you sell mostly in India. SKAVON registers .in and .co.in domains for owners in India.

• The .IN registry requires the owner to verify their identity after registration, using DigiLocker. If that is not done the registry can put the domain on hold, which stops the website and email. SKAVON reminds you and tells you at once if a hold appears.
• The name on your ID has to match the owner name on the domain, so register it in the name of the person or company that will verify it.

What .com says

.com is the extension people type when they are not sure. It suits a business that serves customers abroad or hopes to, and it carries no India-specific identity step. Like every domain it has the owner-email check described in our guide on verifying your domain owner email.

Cost

Prices differ by extension and change with the registries, so this guide does not quote them. The domains page shows the first-year price and the renewal price for each extension before you pay; look at both.

A simple way to decide

• Customers are mainly in India: .in is a good first choice.
• Customers are abroad, or you are not sure yet: .com.
• The name is important to you and the budget allows: register both, point one at the other, and use one for email.