Can you use NordVPN in India? Absolutely. Whether you’re chilling in India or gearing up for a visit, NordVPN has your back. And because it’s a top-tier privacy VPN, it keeps your online activities on the down low, shielding your data from shady characters.
But what if you find yourself outside India and are yearning to dive into the exclusive content reserved for residents? Say you’re on a trip abroad, and the latest episodes of Rana Naidu or Kaala Paani on Netflix India are calling your name. That’s where it gets tricky because NordVPN no longer has servers in India.
This article answers all the important questions about NordVPN’s situation in India. And as a bonus, we’re tossing in the best alternatives to NordVPN if you’re on the hunt for an Indian IP address.
Is NordVPN Working in India?
Yes, it is. Just like those living elsewhere, the good people of India find themselves in need of a solid VPN for a variety of reasons. And more than most of its competitors, NordVPN fits the bill.
For one, there’s the constant dance with cybercriminals, hackers, identity thieves, device hijackers, and other malicious actors who never seem to take a break.
NordVPN is a quality provider and is one of the best ways to keep unauthorized persons from accessing your personal data. It uses military-grade encryption to protect your online traffic. That cipher is virtually uncrackable, and even if anyone managed to intercept your data, they would be unable to decipher it.
Plus, while government censorship and monitoring are on the decline in India, there’s still a lot of that around. If you’re in a region where online content is subject to restrictions or if you simply value your privacy, NordVPN helps you navigate through obstacles.
The VPN provides a secure tunnel for your data. What’s more, advanced features like obfuscated servers, Double VPN, and Onion over VPN come in handy, shielding it from prying eyes and ensuring your online activities remain private and free from unwanted scrutiny.
Now, let’s not forget the other perks. If you’re a fan of international content, you’ve probably hit the roadblock of geo-blocked websites or restricted access to certain services. For instance, because of your location, you’re restricted to the Indian libraries on streaming services like Netflix. Find out more in our NordVPN review.
NordVPN offers a way through by breaking down those digital borders and giving you the freedom to access your favorite content. As a result, you can binge-watch Schitt’s Creek on Netflix US from your cozy apartment in Delhi or a trendy café in Mumbai. Or any other foreign library that catches your fancy, for that matter — as long as the VPN has servers there.
And that brings us to the catch.
Does NordVPN Have Servers in India?
Here’s the lowdown: as of now, NordVPN doesn’t have servers in India. So, if you’re looking for a VPN to cater specifically to Indian content from abroad, this isn’t the ideal choice.
Rewind a few years, and you’ll have found NordVPN proudly advertising itself as the go-to VPN to get an Indian IP address. So, what changed?
Well, the Indian government rolled out a new data-collection policy in 2022, ostensibly designed to fight cybercrime and make it easier to catch online criminals.
UPDATE: In 2024, NordVPN DOES offer servers in India. However, to avoid Indian data-retention laws, the provider uses virtual servers. This still allows you to get an Indian IP address with NordVPN and enjoy Hotstar or Netflix India abroad. As a result, it remains the most respectable VPN service to use in and out of this country.
But while that sounds good on the surface, it requires VPN services to serve up user data on request, including the IP addresses used for online sessions. The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) rules direct providers to record and store user logs for up to 180 days and other information for as long as five years.
If you know anything about VPNs, you know that kind of directive goes against the very essence of what they stand for — privacy and anonymity.
In response to the policy change, NordVPN promptly pulled its servers from India, labeling it an “authoritarian” regulation. It made it clear there would be no storing of user and connection data, keeping in line with its strict no-logs policy.
That was the third prominent VPN provider to make the move, following ExpressVPN and Surfshark. That said, those other VPNs now offer workarounds, as you’ll see shortly.
How to Use NordVPN in India
There’s no doubt about it: while NordVPN no longer has servers in India, it’s still one of the best Indian VPNs. If you live in India, it’s an excellent choice for safeguarding your online privacy and gaining access to international content.
Here’s a straightforward step-by-step guide to using NordVPN in India:
1. Sign Up
Head to the NordVPN website and sign up for an account. Choose a plan that suits your needs and provide some basic information.
2. Download and Install
Once you’ve signed up, download the NordVPN app from the website or official app store. The provider is compatible with a wide variety of platforms and devices, with clients for several of them. If you need help, installation guides in its knowledge base will be useful.
3. Log In
Launch the app and log in with the credentials you created during the signup process.
4. Choose a Server and Use NordVPN in India
Select from NordVPN’s extensive global network comprising 5,900+ servers in 60 countries. Pick a server location based on its proximity to your location or the content you want to access. Hit the Connect button on the home screen, and you’re in.
The VPN establishes a secure connection, encrypting your data and masking your IP address.
Best Alternatives to NordVPN With Indian Servers
What if you need an Indian IP address to catch up on live events and other content on Voot, Republic TV, and other platforms? As already established, NordVPN doesn’t have servers in India, so you need an alternative.
These are the two best options:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN tops the VPN leaderboard with its exceptional blend of performance, privacy and security, and excellent unblocking capabilities.
Remember we mentioned that the provider pulled out of India following the country’s new regulations? Well, it returned to offering servers in the country using a different approach — virtual servers hosted in Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Overall, ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers across 105 countries and offers blazing-fast connection speeds. It also excels at bypassing geo-restrictions on local and global online services. On top of that, the VPN provides a range of privacy features, all but guaranteeing your online privacy and security.
You can use ExpressVPN on up to eight devices simultaneously.
2. Surfshark
Surfshark presents an affordable alternative to ExpressVPN, but the versatile provider has much more under the hood.
Like ExpressVPN, the Dutch-based VPN took a different approach to its offering in India, going from physical servers to virtual alternatives. Currently, you can choose from 50 virtual Indian servers hosted in the Netherlands, London, and Singapore.
They are part of its over 3,200-strong network spanning 100 countries. Surfshark is feature-rich and offers several standard and advanced functionality to shield your data from hackers and other malicious entities. What’s more, it provides excellent performance for stable and reliable connections.
We especially like that Surfshark places no limits on the number of devices you can connect at the same time under the same subscription.
Conclusion
NordVPN is easily one of the best VPNs on the market. It offers exceptional privacy and security features, lightning-fast connection speeds, a massive network of servers, and much more. Like people in other countries, Indian residents can use the VPN to mask their online activities from prying eyes. Not only that but NordVPN can now be used to get an Indian IP thanks to a myriad of virtual servers in the country.
If you don’t want to use its virtual servers, consider this — switching to a NordVPN alternative. We recommend ExpressVPN and Surfshark as the top options for obtaining an Indian IP address and unlocking local content.
