The top-level domain (TLD) .Airtel does not currently exist as per the official source of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is the organizaiton responsible for coordinating and approving all global Top Level Domains (TLDs). IANA’s Root Zone Database (https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt) provides a list of all current TLDs, and as per the data available there, .Airtel is not listed as a TLD.
A top-level domain is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot (” . “). The most common TLDs are .com, .net, .org, among many others. Furthermore, there are special categories for TLDs such as country-specific TLDs denoted by two letters (for instance, “.us” for United States, “.fr” for France etc.), and brand TLDs, reserved for companies and organizations who have successfully applied for their brand name to become a TLD (.google, .apple etc.).
Now, in the context of “.Airtel”, it appears that this could be a reference to Airtel, a global telecommunications services company headquartered in India. This implies an assumption that Airtel may have applied to have its name as a TLD (similar to .google or .apple). However, creating new TLDs is an exhaustive and costly process, overseen by IANA and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). According to ICANN’s website, the application fee for a new gTLD is $185,000, and not all applications are approved.
While it’s possible for a corporation like Airtel to apply for .Airtel as a gTLD during a future round of applications, as of the current situation, no such TLD exists. As previously mentioned, “Airtel” could also theoretically apply for a “.airtel” TLD in the future if the company wished to invest in such a domain structure and ICANN opens another application window for new TLDs.
Lastly, refer back to ICANN and IANA, the organizations that would oversee any such creation of a “.airtel” TLD. ICANN regulates the internet’s domain name system. It coordinates unique identifiers throughout the world which ensures a single, global interoperable Internet. They authorized the launch of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in 2012 and one such was “.store” in 2016. Currently, there is no information or records about a .airtel TLD being applied or approved.
So, in conclusion, “.Airtel” does not currently exist as a top-level domain, however there is always a potential for it in the future, should the company apply for it and successfully win ICANN’s approval.
