India’s temporary restriction on Telegram has sparked a sharp rise in VPN downloads and alternative messaging app installations, as millions of users sought ways to stay connected after authorities blocked access to the platform over concerns related to exam fraud.
According to app intelligence firm Appfigures, the day India announced the Telegram restriction marked the country's biggest day for VPN app downloads since the start of 2025.
Downloads of major VPN applications jumped 49%, rising from an average of 139,000 daily downloads to 208,000.
VPN apps see massive growth
Several VPN providers recorded significant increases in downloads following the restriction.
On Apple's App Store, downloads of Proton VPN surged by 113%, while Turbo VPN recorded an 85% increase. On Google Play, Proton VPN downloads rose 64% and Turbo VPN installations increased by 35%.
NordVPN also experienced a 41% rise in App Store downloads, while ExpressVPN downloads on Google Play climbed 31%.
The surge pushed many VPN services higher in India's app store rankings. Proton VPN moved from 18th to 5th position in Apple's Utilities category and climbed from 8th to 2nd place in Google Play's Tools category.
Why Telegram Was Restricted
The Indian government imposed the temporary restriction until June 22, citing concerns that fraudsters were using Telegram to circulate fake exam papers and scam students ahead of the re-test for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), one of the country's largest entrance examinations.
Authorities argued that the measure was necessary to prevent the spread of misinformation and examination-related fraud.
Telegram challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should remove specific content rather than block access to the entire platform.
Signups surge across VPN providers
The impact extended beyond app downloads.
VPN provider Proton reported that registrations from India rose 120% above normal levels on Wednesday, after hourly signups had already increased by 150% shortly after the restriction was announced.
Canadian VPN company Windscribe reported a similar trend, saying signups from India doubled compared to normal levels, while first-time downloads of its iOS app increased by approximately 89%.
Many users also began experimenting with alternative messaging platforms.
According to Appfigures, downloads of Signal increased by 72% on Apple's App Store and surged 322% on Google Play following the restriction.
Viber also saw strong growth, with App Store downloads rising by 216%.
One of the biggest beneficiaries was iMe, a Telegram-based messaging application, whose Google Play downloads jumped from around 827 daily installs to more than 50,000 in a single day.
Telegram usage remains strong
Despite the restriction, Telegram's overall user activity did not immediately decline.
Market intelligence company Sensor Tower reported that Telegram's daily active users in India actually increased by 17% on the day the restriction was announced, marking the platform's largest single-day growth in the country since a major outage affecting Meta services in 2021.
Cloudflare also reported a sharp increase in DNS requests for Telegram domains from India, suggesting users were actively attempting to access the platform despite restrictions.
Court decision expected soon
During proceedings before the Delhi High Court, Telegram argued that it had cooperated with authorities by removing channels identified by the government and questioned the need for a platform-wide restriction affecting what it says are more than 150 million users in India.
Government lawyers defended the move as a temporary and targeted response linked specifically to the NEET re-test.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict and is expected to issue a decision on Friday.
Part of a global trend
Analysts note that similar patterns have emerged whenever governments restrict access to major online platforms.
VPN demand surged in the United States when TikTok was temporarily removed from app stores in 2025, while comparable increases have been observed following internet restrictions in countries such as Iran and Russia.
The latest developments highlight the growing role of VPNs and alternative communication platforms whenever access to major digital services is restricted.
