Telegram Suspension in India Impacted Over 150 Million Users, Says Pavel Durov

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has highlighted the scale of disruption caused by India's temporary suspension of the messaging service, asserting that the blockade impacted over 150 million users across the country.

Durov took to X to underscore that despite India's Ministry of IT imposing the one-week restriction in response to users sharing leaked NEET-UG exam questions, the measure proved ineffective in stemming the distribution of compromised test materials. He contended that while the ban affected countless ordinary users, those responsible for the leaks simply migrated to alternative platforms once the restrictions took effect.

The Telegram chief noted that his company has taken down hundreds of channels in recent weeks that were allegedly distributing leaked examination content and facilitating related fraudulent schemes within India.

The Indian government ordered the suspension of Telegram services through June 22 following guidance from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which flagged concerns about exam-related misconduct ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination set for June 21. Authorities additionally mandated that Telegram deactivate its message-editing functionality within India until June 30, as investigators suspect the feature was being exploited to modify timestamps and fabricate false documentation of question paper breaches.

Durov indicated that Telegram is working to enhance the visibility of edited-message indicators, a change intended to reduce opportunities for backdating scams and the manipulation of shared content. The re-examination itself comes in the wake of disclosures that examination papers were leaked during the initial NEET-UG test conducted on May 3. Following the government's directive, both Google and Apple proceeded to delist Telegram from their respective application stores.