Whether you’re an Indian resident traveling abroad or a citizen of another country, it’s possible that you may not be able to access Indian TV channels and shows from platforms such as Eros Now, Jio Cinema, Hotstar, and Sony Liv. This can be quite frustrating when you’re missing out on your favorite Indian shows.
However, there’s a way to bypass these restrictions with ease. And that’s with the use of a reliable VPN provider like ExpressVPN.
In this article, we take a look at how to use VPN to watch Indian TV shows online while you’re traveling or living abroad.
Let's get started.
Why Do You Need A VPN To Watch Indian TV?
Streaming platforms in India often use geo-restrictions to prevent people outside the country from accessing their content abroad. Platforms do this in order to comply with their licensing agreement with copyright holders and content producers.
Such legal obligations compel Indian TV streaming platforms to track each viewer’s IP address. If a user outside of India tries to access Indian TV streaming platforms, they will automatically be served with an error message or simply block the connection.
Because of these geo-restrictions, the only way to watch Indian TV shows abroad is to use a reliable VPN service. Short for a virtual private network, a VPN can keep you protected and safe while browsing the internet. It encrypts your network traffic so that your internet service provider (ISP) doesn’t know what you’re doing online.
However, the most important feature of a VPN service is that it can bypass geo-restrictions. In general, a VPN service can help conceal your device’s IP address. And by connecting you to a server in a specific country like India, you get to have an Indian IP address, tricking streaming platforms into thinking that you’re a resident from India. This way, you can easily access and watch Indian TV shows and platforms such as Viu, Hotstar, Boot, and many more even if you’re not physically in India. The best VPN also allows you to access any content from Canada to British TV and even shows in specific Asian platforms.
How To Watch Indian TV With A VPN
Now that you know how a VPN can help you in bypassing geo-restrictions, how do you use it? Here are the steps you need to take.
- The first thing you need to do is to choose a VPN service. If you want a reliable provider, we highly recommend that you opt for ExpressVPN. You can try it for free now.
- Register and sign up with your preferred VPN service provider.
- After registering, you can now download the app or software on your preferred device.
- Once downloaded, you can now install the app.
- Launch the VPN app and set it up. You’ll also need to choose your preferred server. Since you want to watch Indian TV shows and channels, you need to choose a server located in India such as Mumbai. Wait for the VPN to be connected to the server. This only takes a few seconds.
- Once connected, you can now go to and access your preferred Indian TV streaming platform. Pick a channel or TV show to watch and enjoy.
Note: In general, you’ll need to sign up for Indian TV streaming platforms if you’re not an Indian citizen traveling abroad and don’t have a subscription yet. Most of these platforms also require an Indian payment method so make sure to do this before trying to access any Indian TV platform. However, if you already have a subscription, you can simply follow the steps mentioned above.
3 Best Indian TV VPNs To Use
As you browse the best VPN on the internet, you will be faced with numerous options. This can be confusing especially for the newbies in the VPN world. To make it easier for you, we made a list of the top three VPNs you should try to watch Indian TV online today.
- ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is considered to be one of the best VPN services to watch Indian TV in US and abroad. This platform offers over 3,000 servers across the globe with three located in India. As a result, you can bypass geo-restrictions and access your favorite Indian TV streaming platform without any trouble. Plus, ExpressVPN can also access other streaming platforms in other countries, for instance, US TV platforms, so you can watch your favorite American tv shows.
This VPN service VPN is also known for its consistent speed. In fact, it performs quite well in our results. On a 100MBps internet connection, the ExpressVPN Indian servers offer a fast streaming speed of 91Mbps. So, you don’t have to worry about buffering or lagging while watching your favorite Indian TV shows and movies.
In addition, ExpressVPN also boasts excellent security and privacy features. It comes with a no-log policy, a kill switch, DNS protection, and military-grade encryption to protect your personal data when browsing the internet. What’s more, you can try out ExpressVPN for free, meaning you can use all of its outstanding services without paying anything.
- PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN may have a smaller number of servers (about 200 servers globally), however, it is still one of the most reliable providers you can find today. In fact, among these 200 servers, two servers are physically located in India. Thus, it can easily allow you to access and watch Indian TV content wherever you are in the world today.
In addition, PrivateVPN also offers superior privacy features, as evident from its name. This VPN service can help keep your browsing safe with its 256-bit encryption. Not only that, but it also comes with DNS leak protection and a stealth mode that’s capable of sneaking into the toughest online geo-restrictions available today. If that’s not enough, PrivateVPN also comes with a customizable kill switch that instantly cuts your connection to the internet when you lose connection with the VPN server.
Furthermore, PrivateVPN also ensures a zero-log policy, meaning that your online activities are not tracked and stored by them. It allows you to use up to 10 devices simultaneously and is available for several devices including macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux.
- Surfshark
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly and reliable option, Surfshark is one of your optimal choices. Like ExpressVPN, Surfshark boasts a large selection of server networks–up to 3,200 servers–from across the world. It offers you three dedicated servers in India–Chennai, Indore, and Mumbai–so you can stream Indian TV channels online free wherever you are in the world.
In terms of speed, Surfshark is also a reliable option. According to our test, it provides consistent speeds of 81Mbps for a 100Mbps internet plan. Thus, you can now enjoy and catch up on your favorite Indian TV shows and channels without the annoying buffering or lagging.
Surfshark also boasts robust security and privacy features. In fact, this VPN service provides P2P support, powerful encryption protocols such as OpenVPN, a kill switch, Camouflage Mode, and a strict no-logging policy. What's more, since Surfshark allows limitless simultaneous device connection, you can easily share your account with anyone without disrupting the whole experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Indian Channels blocked in USA?
This depends on a specific Indian channel’s and platform’s licensing agreement. However, in most cases, Indian channels are blocked and can’t be accessed by users in the US and those outside of India.
Can I use a free VPN to watch Indian TV anywhere?
Yes, no one’s stopping you to watch Indian TV using a free VPN. However, we highly recommend against the idea. Free VPNs don’t have robust security like well-known VPN providers like ExpressVPN. They don’t protect user data and may even put you in a difficult situation with your ISP.
In addition, most free VPN service providers have limited servers and may not have servers in India. So, you may not even get access to your favorite Indian TV streaming platforms. What’s more, is that these free VPN services are also known to slow down your internet speed. So, even if you find a free VPN with servers in India, you may end up frustrated with all the buffering and lagging while watching your favorite shows.
Instead of relying on a free VPN, opt for a paid VPN with a free trial like ExpressVPN.
Why do only a few VPNs have servers in India?
Last April 2022, the Indian government released new regulations which force companies to store logs for servers in India.
Because of these new regulations, the vast majority of no logs VPNs have withdrawn their servers from the country. This is because it has become impossible for VPNs to maintain their servers in India without compromising users’ privacy. As a result, VPNs like ExpressVPN offered virtual servers in the country instead it provides access to Indian TV shows.
Conclusion
As you can see, watching and streaming Indian TV shows from anywhere doesn’t have to be a difficult task. As shown in this article, you can easily connect with your favorite Indian platform regardless of where you are using a trusted VPN server like ExpressVPN.
Thomas Smith is the editor of forprivacy.org, overseeing a team focused on building the voice of the cybersecurity world through guides, reviews articles and community. His background is as a writer and seasoned software industry veteran with 10 years of experience.
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