Telegram ban in India sparks a rush to VPNs, rival apps

As India lower off entry to messaging app Telegram for every week over issues about exam-related fraud, customers turned to digital non-public networks (VPNs) and various messaging apps in unusually giant numbers.

App intelligence agency Appfigures instructed TechCrunch that Tuesday, the day India introduced the Telegram restriction, marked the most important day for VPN app downloads within the nation since not less than the beginning of 2025. Downloads of main VPN apps rose 49% from a latest every day common of 139,000 to 208,000, the agency mentioned.

Proton VPN and Turbo VPN recorded a number of the largest will increase. Downloads of Proton VPN on Apple’s App Retailer in India jumped 113%, whereas Turbo VPN downloads rose 85%. On Google Play, downloads of Proton VPN climbed 64% and Turbo VPN downloads elevated 35%. NordVPN’s App Retailer downloads elevated 41%, whereas ExpressVPN downloads on Google Play rose 31%.

The surge additionally pushed a number of VPN providers up India’s app-store charts. Proton VPN climbed from 18th to fifth in Apple’s Utilities rankings between June 16 and June 18, whereas its Google Play rating rose from eighth to 2nd within the Instruments class, in keeping with Appfigures.

The spike in VPN demand adopted India’s determination to quickly prohibit Telegram till June 22 over issues that fraudsters have been utilizing the platform to focus on candidates forward of a re-test for the Nationwide Eligibility cum Entrance Take a look at (Undergraduate), the nation’s largest entrance examination by applicant quantity. The Indian authorities mentioned the measure was wanted to stop the unfold of pretend examination papers and associated scams. Telegram has challenged the order within the Delhi Excessive Court docket, arguing that authorities ought to goal particular content material slightly than block the complete platform.

The response prolonged past app-store obtain information. Proton mentioned every day registrations from India rose 120% above baseline ranges on Wednesday, after hourly registrations had already spiked 150% on Tuesday night following the Telegram restriction. The corporate described the rise as “extraordinarily noteworthy” given its current scale within the nation.

Canadian VPN service supplier Windscribe reported the same pattern. The corporate instructed TechCrunch that signups from India peaked roughly 100% above baseline ranges, whereas first-time downloads of its iOS app within the nation rose about 89%.

“The spike in India follows the identical common pattern we see in areas that ban particular apps, introduce age bans or verification necessities, or in any other case prohibit web entry,” Rebecca Rosenberg, development operations supervisor at Windscribe, mentioned.

The pattern was not restricted to a handful of VPN suppliers. Sensor Tower instructed TechCrunch that downloads throughout the VPN app class in India rose 10% day-over-day on June 17, reversing a decline seen over the earlier two weeks.

Customers additionally gave the impression to be exploring alternate options to Telegram. Appfigures mentioned downloads of Sign in India rose 72% on Apple’s App Retailer and 322% on Google Play following the restriction, whereas Viber’s App Retailer downloads elevated 216%.

Telegram-linked messaging app iMe recorded one of many sharpest jumps. Its Google Play downloads rose from a latest every day common of about 827 to 50,900 on June 16, Appfigures mentioned.

But the restriction didn’t instantly translate into decrease Telegram utilization. Sensor Tower mentioned Telegram’s every day energetic customers in India rose 17% on the day the measure was introduced — the app’s largest day-over-day improve within the nation since a widespread outage of Meta’s providers in 2021.

Different information factors additionally recommend heightened efforts to entry Telegram following the restriction.

Cloudflare Radar Lead Lai Yi Ohlsen instructed TechCrunch that DNS requests for Telegram domains in India elevated sharply over the 2 days after the measure was introduced. The corporate cautioned that larger DNS site visitors doesn’t essentially point out profitable entry to the platform, and will replicate customers repeatedly making an attempt to achieve Telegram after it was blocked.

Telegram pointed to its efforts to cooperate with authorities throughout hearings within the Delhi Excessive Court docket this week. Its legal professionals mentioned the corporate had eliminated channels recognized by authorities and questioned the necessity for a platform-wide restriction affecting what Telegram says are over 150 million customers in India.

Authorities legal professionals defended the measure as a brief, event-linked response tied to the NEET re-test. Solicitor Common Tushar Mehta instructed the courtroom {that a} everlasting ban may elevate proportionality issues however argued the present restriction had a “logical nexus” to the target being pursued.

After listening to arguments from Telegram and the federal government on Thursday, the Delhi Excessive Court docket reserved its order and is anticipated to ship its verdict on Friday.

The talk echoes questions raised elsewhere when governments prohibit entry to main on-line platforms. Sensor Tower mentioned VPN downloads within the U.S. rose greater than 40% week-over-week when TikTok was briefly faraway from U.S. app shops in 2025, whereas Windscribe mentioned it has noticed related patterns following restrictions in nations together with Iran and Russia.