You might have accepted a great job opportunity in India, or you are temporarily there on a business trip. Perhaps you are visiting this country during vacation. India is a beautiful country with a rich culture and plenty of fantastic sights to see. During your time spent in India, you need a safe and trustworthy internet connection. The best way to achieve that is to go through a VPN – a virtual private network. But what is the #1 VPN for India?
After extensive market research, our team at Flixed concluded that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for India. And that’s not your only option since major premium providers have their services available to clients from India. You can’t go wrong with choosing NordVPN, StrongVPN, or VyprVPN.
In this guide, we offer a detailed overview of the top VPN platforms available in India. You’ll learn about their advantages, drawbacks, and reasons to try the services. Our experts will discuss the VPN legality in India, as well as the country’s data retention law. So, you have everything you need to find a great VPN in India in this article!
Our pick for the best VPN in India: ExpressVPN
Before moving on to our top pick, let’s clarify one thing. The best VPN for India doesn’t necessarily need to have servers in this country. Furthermore, most users usually go with servers in other countries for localized website versions and bypass geographic restrictions.
But despite that, we looked for a VPN service that has hundreds of servers in different countries, including India. And that’s how we got to ExpressVPN, which is the best VPN for India. If you’d like to learn more about this service, read our experience below!
Why ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN is incredibly easy to install, and you can start using it in minutes. It has impressive device coverage and a user-friendly interface. It’ll encrypt web activity and protect your devices while in India, and ExpressVPN does all that at a fair price.
The imperative thing to mention is consistent speed. It’s why ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Roku and other streaming media players. You have hundreds of servers available, so you can easily switch to a working one. And if anything goes sideways, don’t hesitate to contact customer support. They are available 24/7 and ready to assist in getting the most out of your VPN service.
Top ExpressVPN features
- Servers in 90+ countries. The current number is 94, but it keeps expanding over time. You can pick from India via Singapore or via UK servers. They all come with Lightway UDP, IKEV2, and other security features. The coverage of servers in nearby Asian countries is impressive and ensures fast connections.
- Excellent device versatility. You can use VPNs on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. That covers a huge variety of smart TVs. It’s also possible to get versions for routers and game consoles, so you can stream videos on any device.
- IP address masking and network lock kill switch. Masking your IP address is imperative to hide your true location. ExpressVPN also has private DNS for extra safety and a network lock kill switch, which blocks all internet traffic if the server you are using goes down.
- Forget about bandwidths at affordable prices. ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee and multiple packages to choose from when subscribing. With a premium subscription, you get unlimited bandwidth and maximum speeds. It ensures you can focus on enjoying HD video resolution when watching live TV. Just check our Flixed live TV guide to find out when to tune in for your favorite content.
Best if you don’t need an Indian server: NordVPN
NordVPN uses next-generation encryption with double IP address change to provide extra layers of security when using their servers. The supported device range goes from Android TV and iOS to browser extensions, so you’ll easily find the app that works for your gadget. The total number of servers used is over 5,200, and they are located throughout 59 countries.
Reasons to choose
The operator maximizes safety as much as possible. It promises not to share your private information, and you get security features like IP masking and a network lock kill switch. NordVPN offers a dedicated IP address that no one else uses, maximizing your security. And you can perform a DNS leak test to ensure full protection of your internet traffic.
As for watching live TV, you can count on NordVPN to provide fast connections in 99% of the cases. The split tunneling options help to use a VPN for streaming while using your basic server for other web activity. That’s convenient and secures a more reliable connection, which is why it’s among the suggestions for the best VPN for Amazon Fire Stick and other devices.
Reasons to skip
NordVPN doesn’t have servers in India. That shouldn’t be important because you’ll likely use a VPN to connect to a server abroad. Whether you are watching NFL games with a VPN or streaming other videos, you can enjoy servers in neighboring countries and other continents. Another downside is that VPN speed on certain servers, such as those in Malaysia, can be slower than expected.
Best for wide device coverage: StrongVPN
StrongVPN is among the providers who adopted WireGuard, which is a modern VPN protocol. Its combination of security and speed provides excellent performance for all users. The platform hides your IP address and uses advanced algorithms to protect your internet activity. StrongVPN works flawlessly on a wide variety of devices, ranging from Windows and iOS to Mac and Android. Oh, and it even has an app for Fire TV, so you can consider it an excellent option to watch Amazon Prime Video.
Reasons to choose
We tested the single server available in India, and its download speed was over 42mbps. It was similar to or better than other StrongVPN servers located in North America, Europe, and Asia. That means you can count on the provider to offer maximum reliability and speed when watching Hulu with Live TV or similar services from India.
It’s worth noting StrongVPN has monthly and yearly subscription plans, with the latter being more affordable in the run. You get a 30-day money-back guarantee, which shows the company is confident in the services it’s providing.
Reasons to skip
Although StrongVPN works well and features a simple layout, its interface isn’t exactly modern. The visual presentation could be better as it doesn’t match the great platform’s functionality. If you haven’t used a VPN before, the available settings will only confuse you. While the guide is helpful, there’s a learning curve if you decide to adapt the app to your preferences.
Best for watching Netflix and VOD content: VyprVPN
VyprVPN claims to have over 700 VPN servers and 300,000 available IP addresses. The server locations cover everything from India and the US to Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As with other VPN providers, you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t happy with the service provided. But the sheer ratings received from users, especially for iOS and Android devices, seem to show that VyprVPN has a lot to offer!
Reasons to choose
Powerful and secure connections are something that VyprVPN is proud of when it comes to its services. They have hardware and DNS leak protection to maximize your privacy and promise not to share any logs regarding your browsing activity.
VyprVPN does a great job of securing maximum streaming service compatibility. It’s among the best VPNs to unblock American Netflix, and it’s also a smart and fast choice for other platforms.
Reasons to skip
The number of VPN servers isn’t as impressive as with some competitors. But the good news is you are likely to find a VyprVPN location that works well since 700 servers should cover the majority of user needs. There are certain peak times, such as evening hours in the US when the servers feature somewhat lower speeds.
Best for fastest US servers: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) promises blazing-fast connections on their 10gbps network. They use a RAM-only architecture, which ensures your session data go away before the next reboot. You can even use two PIA servers simultaneously. The idea behind this is to secure additional protection regarding your web activity.
Reasons to choose
PIA is an excellent option if you plan on using a US VPN. It features server locations in all 50 states, so it’ll be easy to find your preferred option.
From the perspective of a user who enjoys live TV, PIA is among the services that are the best VPNs to bypass ISP throttling. So, if you have any problems with your provider limiting your bandwidth, this VPN operator is how to bypass those restrictions.
Reasons to skip
Although it offers multiple plans, the monthly PIA subscription is a bit more expensive compared to the competition. Another thing some users noted is that it might take a while before customer service responds to your message, so you might need to be patient to resolve any potential issues with this platform.
Are VPNs legal in India?
Virtual private networks are legal in most of the world. Only a few countries ban using VPNs, such as North Korea and China. Fortunately, India is not on that list. That means you can legally use a VPN in India without worrying you might be breaking the law.
That being said, the Indian government does monitor internet use heavily. It has the Information Technology Act, which prevents access to certain content and websites. VPNs serve to bypass geographic restrictions, so they allow accessing these sites.
Although it’s not frequent, the government can exercise its right to send the police to your premises under the Information Technology Act. If they determine that’s where the laws of visiting blocked sites have occurred, and they can search the property and the premises.
So, the bottom line is that VPNs are legal in India. It’s up to you how you’ll use them, but accessing virtual private networks is in line with local regulations.
What to know about India’s data retention law?
At the point of writing this article, the Indian government has released the new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022. The idea is to regulate data collection and the rights of “digital citizens.” The new draft version seems to offer many good things for those who reside in India and use the internet. But its previous versions have raised many controversies, especially regarding VPN users.
According to the Indian Express, the Computer Emergency Response Team requested VPN and some other digital service providers to collect and store user data for at least five years. Many VPN providers found this to be a problem since they promise a no-log policy to their users.
The decision also affects hosting providers that offer virtual private servers. That’s why SnTHosting from Delhi filed a lawsuit that challenges the legality of these directions. From the perspective of VPN users, it will be interesting to follow how this unfolds. Privacy is a huge advantage offered by VPN providers, and the government should understand that.
But regardless of the outcome, there’s no doubt VPN use will continue in India. Virtual private networks offer additional safety to web users. That can be critical when doing business-related things or working with sensitive data. The current turbulence is only temporary, and there is no doubt that VPNs will continue to be popular throughout India, especially in major cities.
Our takeaway: Among many great VPNs, ExpressVPN edges the competitors with its service quality
The good news is that India still has many VPN services available, despite the controversy regarding the legal framework. While we wait for the authorities to finalize the legislation, there’s no doubt that virtual private networks will remain legal.
And if you want to use VPN in India to watch live TV streams, there’s no doubt you should pick ExpressVPN. Watching live TV channels requires excellent server speed, and that’s where this provider exceeds all expectations. Thanks to loads of privacy and safety features, business users and those who need VPNs to protect their web activity will appreciate ExpressVPN, too.
And this is not the only option. NordVPN is as good as it gets in maximizing your security while using streaming services from India, and StrongVPN also uses advanced algorithms.
Now that you have all the information pick a premium VPN service that fits you. These are better than free options since they offer unlimited bandwidth and better service speed and reliability. Once you choose a premium VPN in India, you can enjoy watching as much live TV as you want!
Aneeca Younas • Author
Aneeca Younas is a graduated journalist with years of experience writing in different niches based in Oakland, CA. She is a huge movie fan that also enjoys watching sports. That's why she spends hours daily using various streaming services. Over the years, Aneeca profiled herself as an expert in cable-free and VOD platforms.
Desiree Wu • Editor
Desiree is a full-time Honours Business Administration student at Ivey Business School at Western University. She also served as an Editorial Intern at Flixed. Desiree is based in London, Ontario.
How To Watch
Flixed.io's contributors and editorial team will often recommend products we believe to be useful for our readers. We may receive an affiliate commission from product sales generated through these affiliate links.