ICANN appoints Dr Jaijit Bhattacharya, President of C-DEP, as a ccNSO Council Member

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has appointed Dr Jaijit Bhattacharya, President of C-DEP.org, to the Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) Council. He will represent Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. The ccNSO, under ICANN’s aegis, is a global policy-development body focused on issues related to country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). ICANN oversees the global management of the Internet.

Dr Bhattacharya will serve a two-year term, beginning at the ICANN81 AGM in Istanbul in November 2024. The ccNSO, ICANN’s policy development body for country code top-level domain (ccTLD) issues, comprises ccTLD operators from around the world.

“I am very thankful to the ICANN and the government of India for supporting my candidature for this prestigious position which not only brings pride to the country but very significantly impacts how people across the world communicate, access information, work, and live. It is therefore puts tremendous responsibility to participate and contribute in shaping the future of internet,” Bhattacharya said.

Dr Bhattacharya is a renowned technology policy expert and previously led the Centre for 4th Industrial Revolution at the World Economic Forum in India. He is the President and Founder of the Centre for Digital Economy Policy Research and has authored several books on e-governance, including one released by former Indian President Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. He holds multiple research papers and patents in India and the USA and is credited with coining the terms “Digital Colonization” and “Technological Sovereignty.”

This development also supports the Indian government’s ongoing efforts to increase its influence and involvement in global bodies that affect the nation and global technical discussions. It brings India into crucial technical debates that significantly impact the use of technology by its citizens and the country's technological sovereignty.