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The Best VPNs to Get an Indian IP Address

Best VPN for India

Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.

Fact-checked by Callum TennentAdditional Testing by Harry Ferrigno

India’s intrusive VPN data laws have forced many VPN services to remove their physical servers in India.

This has made it harder to find a virtual private network (VPN) that offers Indian IP addresses and unblocks India-exclusive streaming services like Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.

What Is the Best India VPN in 2024?

After testing 65 apps, the best VPNs for connecting into India are:

  1. Surfshark: Best India VPN Overall
  2. ExpressVPN: Excellent VPN to Get an Indian IP Address
  3. PrivadoVPN Free: Best Free India VPN

The best VPN for India in 2024 is Surfshark, with an overall India rating of 9.5/10. It has multiple servers in India, fast internet speeds, and it excels at unblocking Indian streaming sites.

The three VPNs we recommend in this guide all have VPN servers in India. You can use them to get an Indian IP address and unblock Indian streaming services from outside the country. This includes Hotstar, JioCinema, Amazon Prime Video India, and more.

By unblocking Hotstar with a VPN, you’ll be able to watch the Indian Premier League (IPL) from abroad.

You’ll also be able to access other geo-restricted services, like localized video games, such as BGMI, and online banking apps.

Comparison of the Best India VPNs

The table below compares the three top-rated India VPNs based on their number of India servers, Indian cities you can connect to, access to Indian streaming platforms, price, and more:

Why Trust Us?

We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.

The Best VPNs for India Overall (Detailed Analysis)

  1. 1. Surfshark: Best Overall VPN for India

    The best VPN for India overall. It has 50 VPN servers in India and works with every major Indian streaming service.

    Ranked #1 VPN for India
    Surfshark appVisit Surfshark

    • 50 virtual servers in two server locations in India
    • Consistently unblocks Hotstar, JioCinema, Netflix India & Amazon Prime Video India
    • Physical servers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
    • Provider site isn’t blocked in India
    • Anonymous payment methods for Indian residents
    • Free India server for 67 days

    • Not as fast as competitors
    • Inconsistent obfuscation tool

    Overall India Rating : 9.5/10

    This rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our India VPN testing methodology.

    • 9.5/10
    • 10/10
    • 9.1/10
    • 9.7/10
    • 8.7/10

    Surfshark is the best VPN for India due to its unmatched number of virtual servers in India coupled with its physical servers in surrounding countries.

    Out of the 65 VPNs we review, it’s the only VPN that’s able to reliably unblock every major Indian streaming service from overseas.

    Surfshark VPN's app for iOS

    Cheapest Price$2.29/mo over 26 months See all plans
    India Servers50
    India Server LocationsDelhi, Mumbai
    HotstarYes
    Netflix IndiaYes
    Logging PolicyNo Identifying Data
    Data CapUnlimited
    Compatible with
    1. windowsWindows
    2. macosmacOS
    3. linuxLinux
    4. iosiOS
    5. androidAndroid

    Multiple VPN Servers in India

    Surfshark has 50 VPN servers in India, all of which are located in New Delhi and Mumbai. Only CyberGhost came near this total, with 37 servers in India.

    Surfshark's India server locations on macOS

    Surfshark has added a Mumbai server location on Mac, matching its Windows app.

    Unlike ExpressVPN, Surfshark lets you manually select a specific India server location. This is useful for identifying and choosing the closest possible VPN server to maximise your connection speed.

    All of Surfshark’s India servers are virtual to avoid India’s intrusive data laws. The servers’ “real” locations rotate between the Netherlands, the UK, and Singapore.

    Unblocks Every Major Indian Streaming Service

    Surfshark is the only VPN we’ve tested that reliably unblocks Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video India, JioCinema, and Netflix India.

    Using Surfshark to unblock JioCinema

    We used Surfshark to watch the latest season of Asur on JioCinema.

    By connecting to one of Surfshark’s India servers, we were able to load JioCinema exclusives in HD quality and stream the IPL for free without any buffering.

    Surfshark is just as effective at unblocking global streaming services, including 9 international Netflix libraries, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and more.

    Up to 67 Days of Free VPN Servers in India

    If you need a free VPN with servers in India, we recommend using Surfshark’s seven-day free trial and two 30-day money-back guarantees for a total of 67 days of free usage.

    All of this comes without any restrictions on the VPN’s features, speeds, or data.

    Who is Surfshark best for?

    You should use Surfshark if:

    • You need a VPN with servers in India. Surfshark has 50 VPN servers in India, more than any other VPN we’ve reviewed.
    • You want to watch an Indian streaming service. Surfshark has always been able to unblock JioCinema, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video India, and Netflix India in our streaming tests.

    You should not use Surfshark if:

    • You need to bypass stricter censorship than India’s. Although Surfshark works well to bypass India’s web censorship, it’s recently struggled in our China tests.
    • You want the fastest possible speeds. With an average international download speed of 83Mbps, Surfshark is slower than competing India VPNs.
  2. 2. ExpressVPN: Best VPN to Get an Indian IP Address

    An excellent VPN with fast virtual India servers and 4K streaming capabilities.

    ExpressVPN's new app on mobile devicesVisit ExpressVPN

    • Multiple Indian IP addresses across New Delhi and Chennai
    • Reliably unblocks Hotstar, Netflix India, and JioCinema in 4K quality
    • Compatible with most devices including Fire TV and Apple TV
    • Fast connection speeds with secure Lightway protocol
    • 30-day no-questions-asked refund policy

    • More expensive than competitors
    • Undisclosed number of Indian IP addresses

    Overall India Rating: 8.7/10

    This rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our India VPN testing methodology.

    • 9.3/10
    • 7.0/10
    • 9.7/10
    • 9.6/10
    • 9.2/10

    ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN we’ve reviewed and a great choice for connecting into India. You can quickly obtain an Indian IP address by connecting to one of its servers in New Delhi or Chennai.

    It also comes with robust encryption and secure connection protocols, as well as fast download speeds for HD and 4K streaming.

    ExpressVPN's app for iOS

    Cheapest Price$6.67/mo over 15 Months See all plans
    India ServersUndisclosed
    India Server LocationsDelhi, Chennai
    HotstarYes
    Netflix IndiaYes
    Logging PolicyNo Identifying Data
    Data CapUnlimited
    Compatible with
    1. windowsWindows
    2. macosmacOS
    3. linuxLinux
    4. chromeosChromeOS
    5. iosiOS
    6. androidAndroid

    Anonymous & Secure Connections Into India

    You can easily get an Indian IP address with ExpressVPN, by connecting to its virtual India servers.

    Using an IP lookup tool to verify our Indian VPN IP address

    ExpressVPN always assigned us an Indian IP address without any issues.

    Although ExpressVPN operates an undisclosed number of Indian IP addresses, we connected to a new one each time in our testing. As such, we never experienced any difficulties finding an Indian server or speed loss from server congestion.

    ExpressVPN encrypts your connection into India using robust AES-256 encryption and its secure Lightway protocol. It also collects very little data, as verified by audits from KPMG and Cure53.

    Unblocks Hotstar & JioCinema From Outside India

    With an average international download speed of 85Mbps, we were able to consistently unblock Hotstar and JioCinema in 4K quality.

    In fact, ExpressVPN is our top-rated VPN for Hotstar and has always worked with Hotstar in our tests.

    ExpressVPN's India Server Unblocking Hotstar

    ExpressVPN’s India servers consistently unblock Hotstar.

    Our latest Netflix VPN testing revealed that ExpressVPN now works with the Indian Netflix library. This is a welcome improvement and we are yet to experience any buffering, downtime, or errors.

    Despite its impressive streaming performance, ExpressVPN doesn’t currently unblock Amazon Prime Video India.

    Who is ExpressVPN best for?

    You should use ExpressVPN if:

    • You need to securely connect to India. ExpressVPN has servers across multiple locations in India and the necessary security features to encrypt your connection.
    • You want to watch Hotstar from abroad. ExpressVPN has worked with Hotstar since we began testing the streaming service.

    You should not use ExpressVPN if:

    • You want to unblock Amazon Prime Video India. Although ExpressVPN unblocks the vast majority of streaming services, it still struggles with Amazon Prime Video India.
    • You want a VPN on a budget. At $6.67/mo on its cheapest deal, ExpressVPN is not the most affordable service.

Best Free India VPN: Detailed Analysis

  1. 1. PrivadoVPN Free: Best Free India VPN

    A secure VPN with fast free servers in India and access to Amazon Prime Video India.

    Ranked #1 Free VPN for India
    PrivadoVPNVisit PrivadoVPN

    • Free VPN servers in India and 10 other countries
    • Works with Amazon Prime Video India
    • Fast international download speeds
    • Unblocks US Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and more
    • Provider website isn’t blocked in India
    • No payment details required upon sign-up

    • No servers nearby to India
    • Unable to bypass Hotstar, JioCinema, and Netflix India
    • Restrictive 10GB monthly data cap
    • Monthly data has to be manually renewed
    • Uncertainty over bypassing web censorship

    Overall India Rating : 4.4/10

    This rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our India VPN testing methodology.

    • 4.5/10
    • 3.0/10
    • 9.3/10
    • 6.9/10
    • 6.4/10

    PrivadoVPN Free is the best free VPN for India. It has free servers in India, unblocks Amazon Prime Video India and US Netflix, and delivers fast download speeds.

    It’s the only safe free VPN for getting an Indian IP address, due to its robust encryption, privacy-friendly jurisdiction, and scandal-free history.

    PrivadoVPN Free's app for iOS

    Cheapest PriceFree
    India ServersUndisclosed
    India Server LocationsMumbai
    HotstarNo
    Logging PolicyNo Identifying Data
    Compatible with
    1. windowsWindows
    2. macosmacOS
    3. iosiOS
    4. androidAndroid

    Free VPN Servers Inside India & Access to Prime Video

    Our tests confirm that PrivadoVPN Free is the only safe free VPN with servers in India. You can connect to its Mumbai server to obtain an Indian IP address and unblock Amazon Prime Video India.

    However, we couldn’t unblock JioCinema, Netflix India, or Hotstar and its single Mumbai server location was often congested with users. We suggest using a premium VPN for India if accessing an Indian streaming service is a priority.

    PrivadoVPN Free failing to unblock JioCinema

    We couldn’t get past JioCinema’s error message.

    As the best free VPN for streaming, PrivadoVPN Free performed much better in our international streaming tests.

    By connecting its US servers, we unblocked HBO Max, Disney+, US Netflix, and Hulu.

    Bypasses Indian Web Censorship Without Difficulty

    Despite lacking any obfuscation technology, PrivadoVPN Free works to bypass web censorship in India.

    While connecting to its Switzerland server, we were able to use Alipay and open the TikTok app.

    We suspect that PrivadoVPN Free is able to circumvent India’s web blocks as it is a relatively unknown VPN service with a small user base.

    As such, we cannot guarantee that PrivadoVPN Free will continue to work in the future.

    Who is PrivadoVPN Free best for?

    You should use PrivadoVPN Free if:

    • You need a free VPN to connect to India. Unlike its competitors, PrivadoVPN provides a free virtual server location in India.
    • You need a beginner-friendly solution to Indian web censorship. PrivadoVPN Free doesn’t use any obfuscation technology or require any advanced configuration to bypass India’s online censorship.

    You should not use PrivadoVPN Free if:

    • You want to unblock Indian streaming services. Despite its success with Prime Video India, PrivadoVPN Free can’t access JioCinema, Hotstar, or Netflix India.
    • You want to leave the VPN permanently on. Not only is PrivadoVPN Free limited by a 10GB data cap, you have to manually renew it on the provider’s website.

How to Get an Indian IP Address Using a VPN

Connecting to a VPN with servers in India is the best way to get an Indian IP address. You could also use a proxy server for India, but it won’t encrypt your connection — leaving your personal data exposed.

We’d recommend using one of our shortlisted VPNs for India, if you want an Indian IP address from a reliable and secure service.

In the video below we’ve demonstrated how easy it is to get an Indian IP address with a VPN:

We used Surfshark to get an Indian IP address and unblock Netflix India.

How to get an Indian IP Address Using a VPN:

  1. Subscribe to a VPN service with virtual India servers. We recommend using Surfshark to connect to India due to its large number of India servers, fast connection speeds, and robust encryption.
  2. Connect to an Indian server location. Locate the server list in your VPN’s settings and select the India server.
  3. Verify your new IP address. Open your preferred internet browser and use our IP checker tool to confirm your changed IP address and geolocation.

Which VPNs Have Servers in India?

The vast majority of VPN services have removed their physical servers from India due to the country’s new data logging requirements, replacing them with virtual servers or removing the server location entirely.

Virtual VPN servers are servers that aren’t physically located in their advertised location, despite providing the correct IP address. In this case, it allows a VPN to still provide an Indian IP address, while removing its actual VPN server from India’s legal jurisdiction.

ExpressVPN's India server locations

ExpressVPN’s virtual India servers are actually located in Singapore and the UK.

Physical VPN servers are ones that are physically located in their advertised location. If a VPN implemented this type of server in India, it could become subject to data logging.

As of writing, the only premium VPNs we review that still use physical servers in India are Windscribe, VyprVPN, HMA, and PrivateVPN.

There may also be some insecure, free VPN services with physical servers in India. This is much more difficult for us to verify as their customer support and provider website are usually more limited.

We’ve listed which popular VPN services have servers in India below:

What Can You Do with an Indian IP Address?

You can use an Indian IP address to bypass geo-restrictions on online services, such as streaming sites, video games, and banking apps.

For the best balance of privacy and ease of use, we’d recommend using a VPN to get an Indian IP address, rather than a proxy server.

Below is a summary of content that’s exclusive to India on major streaming services, which can only be accessed with a premium India VPN:

We’ve also listed popular sporting events that can be unblocked with an Indian IP address:

If you’re a PC gamer, you can also use an Indian IP address to change your Steam store location. If you live in a country like the US or UK, then following our instructions could save you up to 50% on Steam games.

India VPNs You Should Avoid

The Indian government’s increased targeting of VPNs has made it potentially dangerous to connect to a VPN in India.

If you connect to a VPN server that is physically located in India, then it’s likely your browsing activity and personal data will be handed over to government officials.

There’s also untrustworthy free VPN services that have implemented servers in India to capitalize on the recent surge in demand for VPNs. These unsafe free VPNs can carry malware, sell your data to third-parties, or simply not work properly.

We’ve listed some of the most popular VPNs you should avoid using in India below:

TunnelBear

Error message outlining TunnelBear's unavailability in India

TunnelBear has stopped its service in India.

Despite providing servers in neighboring countries, TunnelBear blocks Indian residents from downloading its apps. It’s also fairly expensive for a middling VPN service.

SkyVPN

SkyVPN failed to encrypt our internet traffic in Wireshark tests.

SkyVPN failed to encrypt our browsing activity.

SkyVPN logs your IP address, can’t be used for streaming or torrenting, and doesn’t include basic VPN security features. It lists an India server in its apps, but the benefits of an Indian IP address are outweighed by the risks to your online privacy and security.

VPN Proxy Master

Screenshot of VPN Proxy Master's Privacy Policy.

VPN Proxy Master logs your country, VPN server location, and whether you connected successfully, among other data points.

VPN Proxy Master collects too much user data and we detected malware within its apps. It provides a free server in India but we can’t recommend using it with VPN Proxy Master’s ongoing safety issues.

Psiphon VPN

IP, WebRTCm and DNS leak test shows DNS leaks when connected to Psiphon VPN.

In our tests, Psiphon VPN leaked our DNS requests.

Psiphon logs your real IP address and it caps download speeds at 38Mbps. Psiphon provides a server in India on both its paid and free plan, but doesn’t provide any information as to whether it’s virtual or not.

How We Test VPNs for India (Methodology)

We’ve created a unique testing methodology for determining the best VPNs for India. Every VPN is subject to the same stringent process to ensure fair and unbiased rankings.

For India VPNs specifically, we test for:

  • Multiple virtual servers in locations across India.
  • Consistent access to Indian streaming services, including Hotstar and Jio Cinema.
  • Fast connection speeds for smooth 4K quality streaming.
  • A private logging policy, ideally backed by an audit.
  • Strong encryption and reliable VPN protocols

Here is a table showing how the top-rated India VPNs performed in our testing categories:

VPNs with a data cap receive a reduction to their overall rating.

Below is a more detailed walkthrough of our India-specific testing methodology:

1. India Server Locations: 30%

Minimum Requirement: A virtual server location in India.

We Recommend: Multiple virtual servers in India, covering a variety of locations.

To qualify for this list, it’s essential for a VPN to have a virtual India server location. Without one, it’s impossible to obtain an Indian IP address.

It’s also important that the VPN service uses a virtual server, instead of a physical one, to avoid India’s intrusive VPN laws.

We expect the very best India VPNs to provide server coverage across the country. This minimizes speed loss by reducing the distance between the user and the VPN server.

2. India Streaming: 30%

Minimum Requirement: Unblocks Hotstar and Netflix India.

We Recommend: All of the above, as well as Amazon Prime Video India and JioCinema.

Due to licensing and distribution agreements, streaming services are often required to geo-restrict their content to specific regions.

The best VPNs for India are capable of bypassing these geo-blocks and streaming content that’s exclusive to India.

To calculate this category’s rating, we regularly test every VPN’s ability to unblock popular Indian streaming services from outside India.

This includes Disney+ Hotstar, JioCinema, Netflix India, and Amazon’s India originals.

3. Speed: 20%

Minimum Requirement: An average international download speed greater than 60Mbps, and ping lower than 100ms.

We Recommend: An average international download download speed above 80Mbps, and ping lower than 50ms.

All of our shortlisted VPNs use fast and modern tunneling protocols to minimize the impact on your connection speeds.

A fast download speed is vital for streaming content in HD quality, without any buffering or long load times.

Additionally, a low ping time ensures that you can play games like BGMI, lag-free.

4.Security & Technical Features: 10%

Minimum Requirement: Secure open-sourced protocols and AES-256 or equivalent encryption.

We Recommend: All of the above, as well as leak protection and a working kill switch.

Without strong VPN encryption, your browsing activity will be visible when connecting into India.

This includes any streaming services you use, websites you access, and files you share.

To anonymize your web activity, the VPNs we’ve shortlisted all use AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption.

They also use open-sourced and dependable VPN protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard. This allows the apps to establish a secure connection between your device and the VPN server in India.

5. Privacy & Logging Policy: 10%

Minimum Requirement: Minimal logging policy, proven by a court case or an independent audit.

We Recommend: No-logs policy verified by real-world events, trustworthy ownership, and diskless servers.

A VPN provider’s logging policy outlines how much information it monitors and collects about your online activity.

It’s vital to use a VPN with minimal logging practices to safeguard your personal data against hackers and law enforcement agencies.

As a result, every VPN we’ve recommended for India logs a minimal amount of data or no data at all.

We’ve also highlighted VPNs that take extra measures to protect your online privacy, such as using RAM servers.

Data Cap Penalty: Up to 50% Reduction

Almost every free VPN service is limited by a data cap. This restricts the VPN to encourage users to upgrade to the premium version.

Using up your data prevents you from using the VPN anymore, including connecting to an India VPN server. As such, you won’t be able to get an Indian IP address or watch geo-blocked Indian streaming services.

We apply a penalty to the VPN’s final overall rating for India based on its data cap:

  • Unlimited bandwidth: No deduction to the overall rating
  • 10GB per month: -20% to the overall rating
  • 500MB per day: -25% to the overall rating
  • 5GB per month: -30% to the overall rating
  • 1GB per month: -35% to the overall rating
  • 200MB per day: -40% to the overall rating
  • 500MB per month: -50% to the overall rating

Additional Testing Criteria

Along with our five key testing categories, we take into consideration other factors when determining the best India VPNs.

These additional factors do not affect the calculation of our overall India rating, but they do influence which VPNs we consider for the shortlist.

We automatically exclude any VPNs with blocked websites in India, or those that have withdrawn their service from the region.

Alongside robust encryption and modern tunneling protocols, we reward VPNs that prioritize users’ online safety and privacy in India. This includes providing anonymous payment methods and implementing virtual servers to sidestep India’s VPN data law.

Lastly, we take into account the availability of free trials and the length of money-back guarantees.

India VPN FAQs

Which VPN has the most servers in India?

Surfshark is the VPN with the most servers in India, with 50 virtual servers. The second highest is CyberGhost, with 29 virtual Indian servers.

Which free VPN has servers in India?

Out of the free VPN services we review, only PrivadoVPN Free, SkyVPN, Psiphon VPN Free, and VPN Proxy Master have free servers in India.

However, we can only recommend using PrivadoVPN Free, as the remaining VPNs have invasive logging policies and lack basic security features.

Alternatively, you can take advantage of Surfshark’s free trial and multiple money-back guarantees for a total of 67 days of free VPN usage.

To put it simply, you can use Surfshark to get access to free VPN servers in India for just over two months.

Which VPN is best for unblocking Indian streaming content?

According to our most recent tests, Surfshark is the best VPN for streaming Indian content from outside the country.

Using Surfshark we were able to unblock Hotstar, SonyLiv, India Amazon Prime Video, and more.

It also comes equipped with a Smart DNS tool for streaming on devices that are not compatible with VPN apps.