LdotR expands dotBrand Advisory across India, Middle East and ASEAN, aim to help organisations prepare ahead of ICANN’s 2026 Domain Opportunity, opening in April 2026
New Delhi, Jan 05: LdotR, a specialist in digital brand protection and domain strategy, today announced the formal expansion of its dotBrand advisory and enablement services across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (ASEAN), as organizations prepare for the upcoming ICANN New gTLD application round, opening in April 2026.
The 2026 round represents the first opportunity in more than a decade for organizations to apply for their own branded top-level domains (dotBrands). A dotBrand allows enterprises to operate entirely within a secure, brand-owned internet namespace, shifting domain strategy from defensive registration to proactive digital ownership. As domain abuse, phishing, and AI-driven impersonation attacks accelerate, domain ownership is increasingly being viewed as a core layer of enterprise risk management, brand governance, and customer trust.
The expansion reflects growing enterprise demand across these regions for stronger control over digital identity, trust, and security. As part of this initiative, LdotR has strengthened its regional advisory capabilities and launched a structured dotBrand readiness and advisory approach to help organizations assess legal, technical, security, and governance preparedness well ahead of the application window.
LdotR works closely with global Registry Service Providers (RSPs) and experienced domain-ecosystem partners who have successfully guided more than 200 dotBrand and new gTLD applications worldwide during the 2012 ICANN round.
These partnerships enhance LdotR’s ability to guide enterprises through the complexity of the ICANN application process and long-term dotBrand operations. Organizations across India, the Middle East, and ASEAN will be advised through LdotR’s offices in India and Singapore, combining regional insight with global execution capability.
“Enterprises are reassessing how they manage trust, security, and brand presence online in the fast-changing world of generative AI. A dotBrand allows organizations to move from defending their brand on the internet to owning their digital ecosystem outright. The next gTLD round is not just a naming exercise, it’s a strategic inflection point in customer trust,” said Vinay Singh, CEO and Co-founder, LdotR.
In the previous new gTLD round held in 2012, nearly 2,000 applications were submitted globally, resulting in the delegation of over 1,200 new domain extensions, including hundreds of dotBrand TLDs adopted by leading global enterprises. The long gap since that round has made the upcoming 2026 window a rare, competitive, and time-sensitive opportunity for organizations seeking lasting control over their digital identity.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to secure valuable digital real estate that may not come again for more than a decade, if ever. Early preparation will be the defining factor between organizations that lead the next phase of the internet and those that follow.”, added Vivek Goyal, COO and Co-founder, LdotR.
Markets such as India, the Middle East, and ASEAN are witnessing rapid digital adoption alongside increased regulatory scrutiny and heightened exposure to online fraud and brand impersonation. As customer engagement expands across websites, mobile platforms, apps, and emerging digital channels, organizations are seeking more authoritative, verifiable, and secure ways to engage online.
A dotBrand enables organizations to:
● Exercise exclusive control over all domains under their brand
● Build stronger consumer trust through verified, brand-owned web addresses
● Reduce exposure to phishing, impersonation, and lookalike domain attacks
● Simplify governance and accountability across legal, IT, security, and marketing teams
The 2026 New gTLD round is particularly relevant for:
● Large enterprises and conglomerates
● Financial services and other regulated industries
● Consumer-facing brands with high impersonation or fraud risk
● Government bodies and public institutions
● Organizations with long-term digital transformation and trust-led growth strategies
While applications are expected to open in April 2026, successful dotBrand participation typically requires months of advance preparation, including internal alignment across legal, technology, security, and brand teams. Early preparation is critical, as readiness, governance models, and operational planning often determine long-term success after delegation.
LdotR is currently advising multiple enterprises across regulated and consumer-facing sectors that are evaluating dotBrand ownership. The company supports organizations end to end, from readiness assessments and application strategy to technical architecture, governance frameworks, ICANN compliance, and long-term domain operations, ensuring enterprises are prepared well before the application window opens.
