India Get Your Business Online: Google’s Free Website Offer and Options Today

India Get Your Business Online was a 2011 program from Google India and HostGator India that gave small businesses a free website, a free .in domain name and free hosting for one year. This article explains what the offer included, what happened to it, and the free ways an Indian business can get online today.

Quick answer: The India Get Your Business Online program, launched in November 2011, offered Indian SMBs a free website builder, a free .in domain and hosting for one year, and a free Google Apps email account. It was a time-limited offer and is no longer running. Today a business can get a free Google Business Profile listing and build a simple free site with tools like Google Sites, then add its own domain for a small yearly fee.

What was India Get Your Business Online?

On 2 November 2011, Google India announced a partnership (external site) with HostGator India to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) build their first website. The goal was to bring 500,000 Indian SMBs online within three years.

The offer for each business included:

• A free, easy-to-build professional website, which could be set up in about 15 minutes
• A free .in domain name and free hosting for one year
• Free email addresses through a Google Apps account
• Free support from HostGator for creating and managing the site for a year
• A free AdWords advertising coupon to promote the new site

What was surprising at the time was that India had about 8 million SMBs, but only about 5% of them had a website. After the free year, a business could cancel or pay to keep its site running.

Program videos

Google posted an introduction video and success stories from businesses that used the service, including Vijashivi International and Khosla Printers:

Google later ran local drives with the same idea; see how Google got 2,500 businesses in Chandni Chowk online.

Is India Get Your Business Online still available?

No. It was a promotional program from 2011 and the free one-year offer has ended. Google also tried a simpler idea later: free websites made from Google Business Profiles. Those sites were turned off in March 2024, with visitors redirected to the business’s profile until 10 June 2024, as TechRadar reported (external site).

Free ways to get your business online in 2026

1. Create a Google Business Profile: a free Google Business Profile (external site) puts your shop on Google Search and Maps with your address, hours, phone number, photos and reviews.
2. Build a simple free website: Google Sites (external site) is free with a Google account and is enough for a basic business page.
3. Register your own domain: a .in or .com domain makes your business look professional. Domains cost a yearly fee from any registrar.
4. Use a free business email or messaging: list a dedicated email and your WhatsApp Business number so customers can reach you.
5. Grow step by step: follow our guide on how to start a small business online.

FAQ

Who ran India Get Your Business Online?

Google India ran it with HostGator India as the hosting partner, starting in November 2011.

Was the website really free?

Yes, for the first year. The domain, hosting and support were free for one year, after which the business could pay to continue or cancel.

Can I still sign up for the free .in domain offer?

No. The program has ended.

What is the best free way to get a business on Google today?

Create a free Google Business Profile so your business shows on Google Search and Maps.