The Indian government’s temporary restriction on Telegram over concerns related to NEET examination fraud did more than disrupt access to the messaging platform. It triggered a sharp surge in downloads of virtual private network (VPN) applications as users sought ways to bypass the block and continue using the service.
According to a report from Moneycontrol citing app intelligence firm Appfigures, downloads of the top 100 VPN apps in India reached 919,000 on June 17, a day after the restriction was imposed, marking the highest single-day VPN download count recorded in the country since at least the start of 2025.
The spike extended beyond a handful of providers. Sensor Tower told TechCrunch that downloads across the VPN category in India rose 10 per cent day-on-day on June 17, reversing a decline seen over the previous two weeks.
Alternative messaging apps also reportedly gained traction, while Telegram’s own user activity remained resilient. The episode highlights a broader reality of today’s internet ecosystem: restricting access to a digital platform does not necessarily reduce demand for it. More often, it drives users toward privacy tools, workarounds, and alternative channels.
Why was Telegram restricted?
Officials argued that restricting access to Telegram would help prevent the spread of fake examination papers and related scams during a sensitive period. Telegram challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should target specific content and channels rather than block access to the entire platform. The court, however, upheld the temporary restriction.
VPN downloads hit record levels
Appfigures data shared with TechCrunch showed that downloads of major VPN services rose 49 per cent above their recent daily average. Downloads increased from around 139,000 per day to more than 208,000 following the announcement.
According to the report, several VPN providers reported strong growth. Proton VPN recorded a 113 per cent jump in downloads on Apple’s App Store in India, while Turbo VPN saw an 85 per cent increase. On Google Play, Proton VPN downloads rose 64 per cent and Turbo VPN downloads increased 35 per cent. NordVPN and ExpressVPN also reported significant gains.
The surge was large enough to reshape app store rankings. Proton VPN climbed from 18th to fifth place in Apple’s Utilities category within two days, while rising from eighth to second position in Google Play’s Tools category.
Why do users turn to VPNs during platform restrictions?
The behaviour is neither unique to India nor specific to Telegram. VPNs allow users to route internet traffic through servers located in other regions, helping bypass network-level restrictions and access websites or applications that may otherwise be unavailable.
Historically, spikes in VPN downloads have followed restrictions on social media platforms, messaging services, streaming websites and news portals in various countries. The sudden restrictions often create immediate demand for circumvention tools because users seek to maintain access to services they rely on.
Alternative messaging apps also benefited
According to Appfigures, as mentioned in the TechCrunch report, users also began exploring alternative messaging platforms. Downloads of Signal surged 72 per cent on Apple’s App Store and 322 per cent on Google Play. Viber’s App Store downloads rose 216 per cent.
One of the major beneficiaries was iMe, a messaging application built around Telegram’s infrastructure. According to Appfigures, its daily downloads on Google Play jumped from roughly 827 to more than 50,000 immediately after the restriction was announced.
The trend suggests users were not only searching for ways to access Telegram but also evaluating backup communication platforms in case restrictions persisted.
Telegram’s founder predicted this response
According to a Moneycontrol report, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has long argued that attempts to restrict communication platforms rarely achieve their intended outcome.
Over the years, Durov has maintained that technical barriers often drive users toward privacy tools rather than reducing demand for the affected service. The events following the Telegram restriction appear to support that argument.
Instead of abandoning the platform, many users sought ways to regain access. Others migrated temporarily to alternative services while maintaining their Telegram presence. The result was not a decline in digital activity but a redistribution of it across VPNs, alternative messaging apps, and other channels.
The Reliance Jio controversy
The controversy also drew in Reliance Jio after Telegram founder Pavel Durov alleged on the social media platform X that the telecom operator may have been involved in efforts to disrupt Telegram’s accessibility beyond India. Durov claimed that Reliance was “sabotaging access” to Telegram for users outside the country through a technique known as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hijacking, and suggested the incident could be linked to competitive dynamics in the messaging market.
Reliance Jio, however, strongly denied the allegations, stating that it had no involvement in any such activity and that its network continues to operate in accordance with global internet routing best practices and the highest standards of reliability, security, and transparency.
Why Telegram matters beyond messaging
Unlike traditional messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Signal, Telegram functions as a hybrid between a messaging service, social network, content-distribution platform, and cloud storage system. The platform supports groups of up to 200,000 members and channels with unlimited subscribers.
Its ability to distribute large files, host communities, broadcast information, and provide cloud-based access across devices has made it attractive to content creators, educators, businesses, investors, and consumers.
The same features have also made Telegram a recurring target of regulatory scrutiny. Authorities have repeatedly linked the platform to piracy networks, stock market scams, fake investment schemes and examination-related fraud. Yet those same capabilities explain why many users were unwilling to simply abandon the platform when restrictions were introduced.
