App intelligence firm Appfigures reported that Tuesday, the day the restriction was announced, marked the highest volume for VPN downloads in India since early 2025. Downloads for major providers surged 49%, rising from a daily average of 139,000 to 208,000. Proton VPN saw particularly aggressive growth, with App Store downloads jumping 113%, while Turbo VPN recorded an 85% increase. By June 18, Proton VPN had climbed into the top five of Apple’s Utilities category.
The scramble for access extended to alternative communication channels. Signal downloads spiked 322% on Google Play, and the Telegram-linked app iMe saw a massive influx, with installations rising from roughly 827 to 50,900 in a single day. Despite the blockade, Sensor Tower observed a 17% increase in Telegram’s daily active users, suggesting that many are attempting to bypass the restriction rather than abandon the platform. Cloudflare data confirmed this trend, noting a sharp rise in DNS requests for Telegram domains.
Telegram has challenged the government’s move in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should target specific bad actors rather than penalizing its 150 million Indian users. While government lawyers defended the measure as a necessary, temporary step to protect the integrity of the NEET entrance examination, the court has reserved its verdict. The situation mirrors global trends where state-imposed platform restrictions consistently trigger immediate, widespread adoption of circumvention technology.
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