Does Proton VPN work in India?

As of Sep 10, 2026, Proton VPN was last confirmed working in India on Jul 22, 2026, and we have not re-verified it since.

Status: working (unconfirmed since Jul 22, 2026)
Confidence: low
Last verified: Jul 22, 2026
Method: Connects normally on the default setup, no obfuscation needed; no physical Indian servers since Sep 2022 (CERT-In), Smart Routing provides Indian IPs; regional exception: Jammu and Kashmir banned VPN use outright from Dec 29 2025 with 2-month extendable orders enforced via phone checks

Proton VPN was last confirmed working in India on Jul 22, 2026. We have not re-verified it since. Get Proton VPN

What we're seeing

The strongest signal is third-party usage data: during the June 2026 Telegram restriction, Proton VPN downloads rose 113 percent on the App Store and 64 percent on Play per Appfigures, and Proton reported Indian registrations 120 percent above baseline. That only happens if the app is listed, installable, and connecting. OONI agrees: 325 of 365 measurements clean June through July 21, 2026, zero confirmed blocks. Regional exception: Jammu and Kashmir banned VPN use outright from December 29, 2025.

Sources for the above:

user_report (Jul 21, 2026): OONI Jun 1 to Jul 21 2026: 365 measurements, 325 ok, 30 sporadic anomalies, 0 confirmed blocked; consistent with reachable; website not tunnel
news (Jun 18, 2026): TechCrunch Jun 18 2026: during the Telegram restriction Proton VPN downloads rose 113 percent on the App Store and 64 percent on Play (Appfigures), reaching number 5 in Utilities; Proton reported Indian registrations 120 percent above baseline
news (Jan 12, 2026): MediaNama (snippet-observed): J and K district magistrates banned VPN services across all districts from Dec 29 2025, 2-month extendable orders, police enforcing via phone checks; regional only
news (Jan 9, 2025): Background (Jan 2025): MHA had six VPN apps delisted from Indian stores (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Hide.me, PrivadoVPN among them); Proton VPN was not among them

Common questions

Is using a VPN legal in India?

Yes. VPN use is legal. The 2022 CERT-In rules require providers to keep customer records, which is why most major VPNs removed their physical Indian servers. Jammu and Kashmir has imposed regional VPN bans since December 2025.

Do I need obfuscation in India?

No. Standard protocols connect normally on Jio, Airtel, ACT, and BSNL as of July 2026. India blocks specific websites, not VPN tunnels.

Why do VPNs show virtual Indian servers?

Because of the 2022 CERT-In data rules, most providers moved their Indian IPs to servers hosted abroad. That affects where your Indian IP physically lives, not whether the VPN works from inside India.