Tech Desk: India’s temporary ban on Telegram has sent users scrambling for alternatives, leading to an unprecedented spike in VPN and rival messaging app downloads. The day the restriction was announced, VPN app downloads in India surged 49%, marking the biggest single day for such services since early 2025, according to Appfigures. Major VPN providers like Proton VPN and Turbo VPN saw download increases of over 100% and 85% respectively on Apple’s App Store.

The ban, imposed for a week due to concerns over exam fraud, saw Telegram challenging the order in court, arguing for targeted content removal instead of a platform-wide block. However, the Delhi High Court upheld the restriction, further fueling user migration. Proton VPN itself reported a 120% rise in daily registrations from India following the ban.

Beyond VPNs, users also flocked to alternative messaging platforms. Signal experienced a 72% download boost on the App Store and a staggering 322% on Google Play, while Viber saw its App Store downloads jump 216%. Even iMe, a Telegram-linked app, witnessed its Google Play downloads skyrocket from under a thousand to over 50,000 in a single day.

Interestingly, Telegram’s daily active users in India actually rose 17% on the day of the ban announcement, indicating a strong desire to access the platform despite restrictions. This situation highlights the growing global trend of users employing VPNs and alternative apps to circumvent government-imposed digital restrictions, a pattern observed in countries like Iran and Russia.