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RaqbashTechnologies

Government & Public Sector

Government Website Design & Development Company in India

Raqbash handles government website design and government website development for departments, civic bodies and public-sector organisations: pages every citizen can use with a screen reader or a basic phone, content in Hindi, English and your state's official language, and service forms that reach the right desk.

See How We Work
Government website design example: a bilingual department homepage with a language switch, text size controls, citizen services and a notices list
Websites delivered
110+
Years experience
10+
Rated on Google Reviews
4.9
WCAG 2.2 AA and GIGW in every template
Accessible by build

Trusted partners

Clients we worked with

From global enterprises to fast-growing startups, brands across the world trust Raqbash to build and scale their digital products.

Overview

Government website design for every citizen, not just the connected ones

Government website design is judged by the person with the least help: a pensioner on an old Android phone, a farmer who reads only Marathi or Tamil, someone using a screen reader. We design and build for state departments, boards and corporations, municipal bodies, district offices, public-sector undertakings and publicly funded institutes. Our government website development follows WCAG 2.2 AA and India's Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) from the first template, not as a fix before audit.

Citizens come with a task: a form, a scheme's eligibility rules, an application's status, a tender document or the officer who handles their complaint. Many public sites bury these under news tickers and carousels, and publish key orders as scanned PDFs nobody can search. We start from those tasks and build the structure around them. We don't hold any certification or empanelment, and we don't claim one: we build to the standards, and your department, its auditors and its IT cell decide when the site is ready.

One team

Government website design and development under one team

A public site has to be usable by everyone and safe from people who probe it daily. Our designers and developers work on both from the same brief.

Design

  • Task mapping with your officers: the ten things citizens ask for most, ranked by phone calls, counter visits and grievance logs.
  • Plain-language page structure, so a scheme page states who qualifies, what to bring and how long it takes before any background.
  • Accessible visual design with tested contrast, visible focus states, a text-size control and layouts that reflow at high zoom.
  • Typography that renders Hindi and other Indic scripts cleanly at small sizes, using Unicode text, never images of text.
  • Consistent identity across sections, using the emblem and branding rules your department already follows.

Development

  • Semantic HTML with landmarks, skip links, labelled form fields and keyboard paths through every menu and dialog.
  • Multilingual content with a separate URL per language and a switch on every page that keeps the visitor on the same item.
  • Citizen forms with file upload, server-side validation, an acknowledgement number and status tracking for the applicant.
  • A notices, tenders and circulars archive with publish and expiry dates, so outdated items leave the live pages automatically.
  • Security hardening: strict headers, role-based CMS access, audit logs, dependency patching and protection against the OWASP Top 10 risks.

The people who design each form also write its validation and accessibility code, so the version your officers approve is the version citizens use.

What we build

Web design for government agencies and public bodies

Six things we build in the public sector. A small office may need two; a municipal corporation usually needs all six.

  • Department and board websites

    Organisation structure, officers, functions, schemes, acts and rules, and publications on a CMS your nodal officer can manage.

  • Municipal and civic portals

    Ward information, property tax and service pages, civic complaints, public works updates and council or committee notices.

  • Citizen service forms

    Applications, certificates, permissions and appointment requests with document upload, acknowledgement numbers and status lookup.

  • RTI and proactive disclosure

    Section 4(1)(b) disclosures, PIO and appellate authority details, and RTI replies published in a searchable, dated format.

  • Notices, tenders and circulars

    Filterable archives with dates, departments and attachments, plus SMS or email alerts for people who subscribe to a category.

  • Redesign & maintenance

    Rebuilding an ageing public site without breaking links citizens have bookmarked, then content updates, patches and accessibility re-checks.

Accessibility & security

Accessible, multilingual and hardened from the first template

Public sector web design is held to standards most commercial sites never face. These four areas are where we put the most care.

WCAG 2.2 AA in the build

Each template is checked with automated tools, keyboard-only use and NVDA screen-reader passes. We publish an accessibility statement that lists any known gaps honestly.

GIGW-aligned structure

Mandatory pages and policies, last-updated dates, content ownership and an archival policy are built into the CMS so they stay current after launch.

Three languages, one source

Hindi, English and state-language versions are linked item by item. Translations come from your department or its approved translator, and untranslated items are flagged.

Hardened against probing

Minimal plugins, locked-down admin routes, rate-limited forms, a web application firewall and logs your IT cell can review.
  • Skip links, landmarks and full keyboard access
  • Text resize and high-contrast options
  • Hindi, English and the state language with item-level linking
  • Searchable HTML for orders, not only scanned PDFs
  • Last-updated date and content owner on every page
  • Security headers, WAF and audit logs

Sitemap

What a government website needs

The pages most departments and civic bodies need. GIGW sets several of them; we scope the rest to the services you deliver.

Home
Top citizen tasks, latest notices, helpline numbers and the language switch, all above the fold on a phone.
About & organisation
Mandate, structure, officers with designations and contact details, and the acts and rules you work under.
Citizen services
One page per service: who can apply, documents, fees, timelines, the online form and status lookup.
Schemes
Eligibility, benefits, how to apply and the official notification, written in plain language.
RTI
Proactive disclosures, PIO and appellate details, how to file and published replies.
Notices, tenders & circulars
A dated, filterable archive with attachments, corrigenda and expiry handling.
Grievance & contact
Helplines, office addresses, a grievance form with tracking and links to the state or central grievance portal.
Website policies
Copyright, hyperlinking, privacy, terms, content archival and accessibility statement pages.
Help & sitemap
How to use screen-reader and text-size features, file formats used and a full HTML sitemap.

GIGW and WCAG 2.2

Standards we build to, and what we never claim

GIGW is the Government of India's guideline set for public websites, covering accessibility, content, languages, security and site management, and it builds on WCAG. We follow both as we work: every template is tested against WCAG 2.2 at level AA, and the GIGW checklist is part of our launch review, item by item, with records your team keeps.

What we don't do is certify. Formal compliance audits, STQC assessments and quality certificates are carried out by the bodies authorised to do them, on your department's request. We prepare the site, share our test records and fix whatever an auditor finds. Our pages will never state that a site is certified or compliant unless your department holds the certificate and asks us to say so.

Security, hosting and procurement

Security audits, hosting and how departments buy

Many departments must pass a security audit by a CERT-In empanelled auditor before a site goes live, and hosting often has to sit with NIC, a state data centre or an approved government cloud. Both decisions belong to your department. We build so the audit goes smoothly: patched dependencies, no default credentials, validated forms and documented admin roles. We fix what the auditor reports and re-test it.

Procurement through GeM or an open tender is also your process, and we claim no empanelment here. Where a tender sets eligibility conditions, we check them before submitting anything.

Why Raqbash

Why choose Raqbash for government website development

Local government website design rewards patience and plain speaking more than flair. That is how we work with public bodies.

4.9 rated on Google Reviews

  • Accessibility tested by hand

    Automated scans miss many barriers, so we also use every template by keyboard and with a screen reader.

  • Regional languages are not an afterthought

    Scripts, fonts, search and URLs are planned for Hindi and the state language from the start, so regional pages work as well as English ones.

  • Ready for the security audit

    We expect an auditor to probe the site and build accordingly, then fix and re-test anything they report.

  • Honest about standards

    We report what we tested, what passed and what still needs work, with no badges or claims we can't back.

  • Light on any connection

    Lean pages load on older phones and weak rural networks, which is how many citizens reach public services.

  • Content citizens can find

    Orders and notices published as searchable HTML with clear titles, so people find them through your site search and Google.

Ready for a public website every citizen can use?

Tell us what your office publishes and which services people ask for most. We'll send a free, fixed-scope proposal covering accessibility, languages and forms.

+91 97730 66237

Sectors

Public bodies we build websites for

Each part of the public sector serves citizens in its own way. These are the six we serve most.

  • Municipal corporations & nagarpalikas

    Municipal website design for ward services, tax payments, civic complaints and council notices.

  • State departments & directorates

    Schemes, acts and rules, officer directories and publications for line departments.

  • Boards, corporations & PSUs

    Corporate profiles, tenders, annual reports, recruitment notices and investor or stakeholder pages.

  • District & taluka administration

    Collectorate services, local helplines, election and disaster information, and public notices.

  • Public institutes & universities

    Admissions, results, faculty pages and RTI sections for publicly funded education bodies.

  • Civic missions & public programmes

    Microsites for a scheme or campaign, with progress updates, application forms and helpline details.

How we work

Our government website development process

Six steps from first meeting to launch. Step four is a full accessibility, language and security pass before the department's own audit.

  1. Step 01

    Discover

    We meet your nodal officer and service heads, review the current site, call logs and grievances, and list the GIGW items that apply.

  2. Step 02

    Design

    We prototype the home, service and notice templates in English and the state language, then test them with keyboard and screen reader.

  3. Step 03

    Build

    We build the CMS with roles, publish and expiry dates, item-level language linking and the citizen forms.

  4. Step 04

    Accessibility & security pass

    We run WCAG 2.2 AA checks by tool and by hand, review every GIGW item, scan for vulnerabilities and fix what we find.

  5. Step 05

    Audit & launch

    We support the department's security audit, fix findings, deploy to the chosen hosting and redirect old URLs.

  6. Step 06

    Support

    We train content officers, patch and back up the site, re-check accessibility after major updates and report monthly.

Tech & integrations

Technologies & integrations for government websites

A stack that can be hosted on government infrastructure and audited cleanly. We connect a national platform only where your department is onboarded to it.

Frontend

  • Next.js
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS

Backend

  • Node.js
  • PostgreSQL
  • REST APIs
  • Audit logging

CMS

  • Drupal
  • WordPress
  • Strapi

Hosting & Security

  • NIC or state data centre
  • Government cloud
  • Web application firewall
  • TLS/SSL

Government Integrations

  • Payment gateway your department mandates
  • SMS and email gateways
  • DigiLocker (where onboarded)
  • Bhashini language APIs (where available)
  • Grievance portal links
  • NVDA and axe for accessibility testing

Cost & timeline

Government website cost and timeline

Three common scopes for public bodies. Each comes with a fixed-scope proposal in writing before any work begins.

Government website cost and timeline
ScopeWhat's includedTypical timelineWhat drives costPrice
Office information siteHome, about, officers, services, RTI, notices, policies and contact in two languages, built to WCAG 2.2 AA.5–8 weeksLanguages, page count, content readinessFrom ₹40,000
Department portalEverything above, plus a third language, citizen forms with tracking, tender and circular archives, and alert subscriptions.10–16 weeksNumber of services, approvals, audit scopeFixed-scope quote
Municipal or multi-service platformMany services and offices on one platform, payments, integrations with existing systems, role-based publishing and audit support.16–26 weeksIntegrations, hosting rules, security audit cyclesFixed-scope quote

Approvals and the security audit usually set the timeline more than the build. We plan review rounds and audit windows into the schedule from the first week.

Every project gets a fixed-scope quote in writing before work starts.

FAQ

Government website design FAQs

Questions nodal officers, IT cells and public-sector communication teams ask us about cost, standards, languages and audits.

How much does government website design cost?

An office information site in two languages starts from about ₹40,000. Department portals with citizen forms, archives and a third language cost more, and multi-service municipal platforms more again. The main drivers are the number of services, languages, integrations with existing systems and the audit scope. We send a fixed-scope proposal after we understand what the site must deliver.

How long does a government website take to build?

An office information site usually takes five to eight weeks, a department portal ten to sixteen, and a larger municipal platform sixteen to twenty-six. Internal approvals, translation and the security audit add time that has nothing to do with code, so we plan for them from the start.

Do you handle both the design and the government website development?

Yes. One team does the task research, the accessible design and the government website development behind it, including forms, archives, languages and hardening. Your department deals with one contact and one proposal, and the accessibility decisions made in design are carried through into the code.

Which CMS should a government website use?

It depends on your hosting rules and who will edit the site. Drupal is common on government infrastructure and handles roles and workflows well. WordPress suits smaller offices if it is hardened and kept patched. A Next.js front end with a headless CMS is fastest and exposes the least to attackers. We recommend one after checking your hosting and audit requirements.

Will citizens find our pages on Google?

They should find them more easily. We publish services, schemes and notices as text pages with clear titles, an HTML sitemap and structured data, instead of scanned PDFs search engines can't read. Each language version gets its own URL. Rankings still depend on content quality and links, and no honest agency can promise a position.

Can you certify our site as GIGW or WCAG compliant?

No, and we won't claim to. We build to WCAG 2.2 AA and the GIGW guidelines, test against both and give you our test records. Formal audits, STQC assessments and certificates come from authorised bodies at your department's request. We prepare the site for those audits and fix anything they find.

Are you empanelled on GeM or for government tenders?

We make no empanelment claim on this page. Buying through GeM or a tender is your department's process, with its own eligibility rules. If you share the tender conditions, we will tell you honestly whether we qualify before preparing a bid.

Start your government website project

Book a free call. We'll review your current site for accessibility and task gaps, and outline what a rebuild would cover.

+91 97730 66237

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