In a surprising move that’s shaking up the Indian web hosting market, HostGator has officially merged with BigRock, two of the most recognized names in the industry. The consolidation brings together HostGator’s global presence and BigRock’s stronghold in India under a unified brand experience. But what does this mean for existing customers, new users, and the future of web hosting in India?
Let’s break down everything you need to know about this strategic merger, effective July 15, 2025.
1. Overview of the Merger
- Announcement date: While the official migration is set to complete by July 23, 2025, the merger was publicly announced in phased communications, with BigRock’s blog post dating back to June 16, 2025, confirming the effective date of July 15, 2025.
- Parent company (Endurance / Newfold Digital context): Both HostGator India and BigRock are part of the larger Newfold Digital (formerly Endurance International Group) portfolio of brands. Newfold Digital is a global leader in web presence solutions, owning numerous well-known hosting and domain companies worldwide. This merger is an internal consolidation within Newfold Digital’s Indian operations.
- Reason behind the move: The primary drivers behind this strategic merger are:
- Simplifying Customer Experiences: To create a more streamlined and unified platform for managing domains, hosting, billing, and support for Indian customers.
- Enhancing Service Quality: By combining the strengths and infrastructures of both brands, the aim is to offer more robust, high-end solutions and improved reliability.
- Optimizing Operations: Consolidating resources can lead to greater efficiency in backend systems, support, and product development, ultimately benefiting the end-user with better features and faster service.
- Leveraging Brand Value: The merger seeks to capitalize on the strengths and trust associated with both the HostGator and BigRock brands in the Indian market.
2. What Changes for HostGator Users?
If you’re an existing HostGator India customer, the transition is designed to be as seamless as possible, with minimal disruption to your services:
- Dashboard, UI, or support system changes:
- Unified Control Panel: All HostGator India customer accounts, including product and billing details, are being migrated to BigRock’s Customer Control Panel (CCP). This means you will now log in via BigRock’s website.
- Familiar Experience: While the login portal changes, BigRock has assured that the underlying control panel experience for managing your hosting and domains will remain largely the same, aiming for familiarity.
- Harmonized Support: You will now access support through BigRock’s channels, which are still 24/7 (though with specific hours for phone support) and localized.
- Migration or pricing impact:
- No Downtime: The migration of services is being handled by the operations and support teams, with a promise of zero downtime for your hosted data or website.
- Current Login Credentials: Your existing HostGator India login credentials will continue to work on the BigRock login page after migration.
- No Change to Hosting Environment: Your current hosting environment, IP address, and server configurations will not change. Only your account details and billing information are being transferred.
- Pricing: Your current product pricing and features are expected to remain the same for your existing plans. However, future renewals or new purchases will be subject to BigRock’s pricing structure. Note that HostGator India previously offered monthly shared hosting, while BigRock typically has a minimum duration of three months. This might be a change for some existing monthly HostGator users upon renewal.
- Brand presence (will HostGator India be phased out?): The HostGator India brand is effectively being consolidated under the BigRock umbrella. While HostGator India will cease taking new orders, existing customers are being transitioned to BigRock’s platform, indicating that BigRock will be the primary, unified brand going forward in India for these services.
3. What’s New for BigRock Customers?
For existing BigRock customers, this merger is primarily about strengthening the platform and potentially expanding offerings:
- Hosting plans consolidation: While specific details on merged plan structures are evolving, BigRock now integrates the infrastructure and product catalogs that were previously distinct to HostGator India. This could lead to a more comprehensive and robust range of shared, VPS, and dedicated server offerings.
- Additional features from HostGator side: The merger aims to combine the strengths of both brands. BigRock customers might indirectly benefit from any backend infrastructural optimizations or expanded data center capabilities that HostGator India brought to the table. The emphasis is on “enhanced service quality” and “high-end solutions.”
- Cross-support access: BigRock’s existing support channels are now fully equipped to handle inquiries from the combined customer base, potentially leading to a larger, more experienced support team with expertise across both legacy systems.
4. Why This Merger Matters
This consolidation has significant implications for the Indian web hosting landscape:
- Impact on Indian hosting market: This merger further solidifies Newfold Digital’s dominance in the Indian market. By integrating two major players, they streamline operations and reinforce their market position, potentially setting new standards for service delivery and pricing.
- Reduced competition or better bundled services?
- Reduced Competition: Some might argue that consolidation reduces competition, which could lead to less innovation or less aggressive pricing in the long run.
- Better Bundled Services: On the other hand, the merger aims to offer a more integrated and feature-rich experience. Customers could benefit from a wider range of products and services accessible from a single dashboard, with improved backend efficiency and potentially better overall value if the synergies are effectively leveraged. BigRock’s significantly larger pool of domains at competitive prices is highlighted as a benefit.
- A signal of consolidation in the industry: This merger is part of a broader trend of consolidation within the global web hosting industry. Larger conglomerates like Newfold Digital are acquiring and merging brands to achieve economies of scale, reduce operational redundancies, and offer more comprehensive solutions under fewer, stronger brands.
5. Should You Stay or Switch?
For current HostGator India and BigRock users, the decision to stay or consider switching depends on your specific needs and priorities:
- Who should benefit from this merger:
- Current HostGator India Customers: The migration promises no downtime, unchanged hosting environment, and simplified account management under a unified BigRock platform. This is designed to be an “upgrade” in terms of infrastructure and support.
- Users Seeking Convenience: If you appreciate having domains, hosting, email, and billing all managed from one central account with localized support, the unified BigRock platform will be highly convenient.
- Small Businesses & Beginners: The streamlined experience and potentially enhanced feature sets under BigRock could be very beneficial for those with less technical expertise.
- Is now a good time to migrate to another provider?
- Not Necessarily: For most users, there’s no immediate compelling reason to migrate *because* of the merger. The migration process is managed for you, and your services are supposed to remain uninterrupted.
- Consider If: You were already unhappy with HostGator India’s (or BigRock’s) performance, support, or pricing even before the merger, or if the new combined offering doesn’t meet your long-term needs. Also, if the change in monthly billing availability (for former HostGator users) upon renewal is a deal-breaker, then exploring other options might be worthwhile.
- Evaluate New Pricing: When your renewal comes up, carefully evaluate the new BigRock renewal pricing against other providers to ensure you’re still getting the best value.
6. Final Thoughts
Our take: Is this a win for customers or just a business move?
Ultimately, this merger appears to be a strategic business move by Newfold Digital to optimize its Indian operations. However, it *can* translate into a win for customers, particularly for those who value convenience and a simplified digital presence. By consolidating under the BigRock brand, the aim is to leverage BigRock’s strong local presence and combine it with HostGator’s robust infrastructure and global experience.
For existing HostGator India customers, the seamless migration and continuation of services without disruption are significant positives. The unified dashboard and potentially enhanced support under BigRock promise a smoother user experience. For BigRock customers, it means reinforced infrastructure and a broader product catalog.
The key will be how well Newfold Digital executes the integration and if the “enhanced services” truly deliver consistent improvements in performance, support quality, and long-term value, without leading to reduced competitiveness in pricing post-introductory periods. For now, it seems like a step towards a more cohesive and potentially more powerful offering for Indian web hosting users.
Recommendations for Current Users:
- HostGator India Customers: Remain calm. Your services are being migrated automatically. Keep an eye on communications from BigRock for login details and any specific instructions. Familiarize yourself with the BigRock control panel once your account is migrated.
- BigRock Customers: Enjoy the potentially strengthened infrastructure and integrated services. Continue to utilize the platform as before.
- All Users: For future purchases or renewals, always compare pricing and features carefully.
7. FAQs
Q1: Will HostGator shut down in India?
A: The HostGator India brand, as a separate entity taking new orders, is being consolidated into BigRock. Existing HostGator India customers are being migrated to the BigRock platform. So, while the brand might not actively sell new services independently, its services and customer base are being absorbed by BigRock.
Q2: Can I keep my current plan?
A: Yes, your existing HostGator India hosting plan and its features are expected to remain the same after the migration to BigRock. The migration focuses on moving your account and billing details to the unified BigRock platform, not changing your hosting service itself. However, future renewals will be at BigRock’s standard renewal rates, and monthly payment options might change for some users.
Q3: What about my domains?
A: All your domains registered with HostGator India will also be migrated to your BigRock account. You will manage them from the BigRock control panel, just like your hosting services. There will be no change to your domain nameservers or their functionality as a result of this merger.
Q4: Will there be any downtime during the migration?
A: BigRock has stated that the migration process is being handled by their operations and support teams with a focus on ensuring zero downtime for your hosted data and websites. Your IP address and server configurations are not changing.
Q5: Who owns HostGator and BigRock?
A: Both HostGator and BigRock are part of the extensive portfolio of brands owned by Newfold Digital, a leading global web presence solutions provider (formerly known as Endurance International Group).