Best VPN for India (2026) — Privacy in a Surveillance State
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In 2022, India's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) introduced regulations requiring VPN providers to store user logs for five years. Many privacy-focused VPNs — including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and ProtonVPN — removed their physical servers from India rather than comply. Here is what that means for you and which VPNs are the best choice.
India's VPN logging law
In April 2022, CERT-In ordered VPN providers operating in India to store customer names, email addresses, IP addresses, usage logs, and billing information for five years and hand them over on government request. This directly contradicts the no-logs policies of privacy-focused VPNs. Most reputable providers chose to remove their Indian servers entirely rather than comply.
How major VPNs responded
NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, PIA, and ProtonVPN all removed their physical servers from India. They now offer virtual Indian servers — servers physically located outside India (typically in Singapore or the UK) that provide an Indian IP address. Traffic routes through these servers without being subject to Indian logging requirements.
Best VPNs for users in India
NordVPN's virtual Indian servers provide reliable Indian IP addresses for streaming Indian content while keeping your data outside India's jurisdiction. ExpressVPN's virtual servers for India are fast and reliable. It is the best choice for users who need consistent Indian IP access. Surfshark also uses virtual Indian servers and includes obfuscation for any network-level restrictions.
What to avoid
Any VPN that kept physical servers in India and claims a no-logs policy — they are contradictory under the current law. Always verify that your VPN provider publicly confirmed removal of Indian servers post-2022.
NordVPN
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Virtual India servers, genuine no-logs policy — From €3.09/mo
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