- ✓An Indian IP address makes websites treat you as if you’re in India — the key to JioHotstar, SonyLIV, Indian banking net-banking and India’s Netflix library.
- ✓You get one with a VPN that has an India server: install the app, connect to India, done in about three minutes.
- ✓The India twist: since 2022, India servers are almost all “virtual” (run from Singapore or the UK). That’s standard, safe, and streams the same.
- ✓NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and CyberGhost all offer a genuine Indian IP.
- ✓Honest caveat: an Indian IP helps with net-banking but won’t replace an Indian SIM for UPI, and foreign logins can still be fraud-flagged.
The quick answer
To get an Indian IP address from Ireland, connect to a VPN server located in India. Install a reputable VPN, open its app, choose the India location, and connect — you’ll be given an Indian IP within seconds, and websites will treat you as if you’re in India. That’s the whole trick; the rest of this guide covers the one thing that’s different about India, and everything an Indian IP unlocks.
An Indian IP is just a VPN connection away — and unlike an Irish IP, a “virtual” India server is exactly what you want.
What an Indian IP address actually is
Every device online has an IP address — a string of numbers that, among other things, reveals your rough location. Websites read it to decide what to show you: an IP registered in India looks Indian, one registered in Ireland looks Irish. Living in Ireland, your IP is Irish, which is exactly why India-only services refuse to play.
A VPN fixes this by routing your connection through a server in a country you choose. Connect to a server registered in India and you borrow an Indian IP address — your real location is hidden, and to every website you appear to be sitting in India.
Virtual vs physical — the India twist
Here’s the one place India works differently, and it’s worth understanding because it’s the opposite of the advice for an Irish IP. For Ireland, we tell you to insist on a physical Dublin server. For India, physical servers have largely gone.
In June 2022, India’s CERT-In directive ordered VPN operators to log user data for five years. Rather than comply, the major privacy-first providers pulled their physical servers out of India and switched to virtual India servers — machines in Singapore, the UK or the Netherlands that are registered to an Indian IP range. So you get a genuine Indian IP, Indian services see you as local, and your data never touches Indian jurisdiction.
For India, a virtual server is normal, safe and streams identically — it’s simply how the reputable VPNs now offer an Indian IP. There’s no meaningful “physical India” option to hold out for, and you wouldn’t want one anyway given the logging law.
How to get an Indian IP address, step by step
Start to finish, this takes about three minutes:
- 1Choose a VPN with an India server
You want a provider that reliably offers an Indian IP and unblocks the big Indian services. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and CyberGhost all qualify — see our picks below. Don’t worry that the server is “virtual”; that’s normal for India now.
- 2Create an account and install the app
Sign up, then download the app for your device — Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, or a Fire TV Stick / Apple TV for the big screen. Most Indian streaming happens on a phone, so the mobile app is the one that matters most.
- 3Connect to an India server
Open the app, search the location list for “India”, and connect. Your traffic now routes through India and you’re assigned an Indian IP address.
- 4Use the internet as if you’re in India
JioHotstar, SonyLIV, Sun NXT and the Indian catalogue of Netflix will now see an Indian connection. That’s it — you have an Indian IP.
Want the shortlist ranked on India-server speed and reliability? See our best VPN for cricket & Hotstar ranking (built entirely around India servers), or the overall best VPN for Ireland.
How to check your IP changed to India
Confirming it worked takes ten seconds:
- Connect first, then search “what is my IP” on Google, or open any IP-checker website.
- Look at the country it reports — it should say India. If it does, you’re set.
- Still showing Ireland? Disconnect, reconnect specifically to an India server, refresh the page, and check again.
What an Indian IP unlocks
Once you’ve got one, here’s where it earns its keep — each has a dedicated guide with the providers we rate for it:
JioHotstar, SonyLIV, Sun NXT, Aha, Hoichoi and more are geo-locked to India. An Indian IP restores access.
Watch Indian channels in IrelandThe JioHotstar feed of the IPL and India’s internationals needs an Indian IP plus a JioHotstar plan.
Best VPN for cricket & HotstarThe Indian broadcast of the IPL, in Hindi and regional commentary, from anywhere in Ireland.
How to watch the IPL in IrelandYour own Netflix or Prime account switches to India’s much larger catalogue with an Indian IP.
Change your Netflix region
Indian banking & UPI — the honest caveat
This is the one people ask about most, and it’s where we’ll be straight rather than overselling. An Indian IP can help you reach an Indian bank’s net-banking website when it blocks or misbehaves on a foreign connection — that part often works. But it is not a full solution to Indian banking from abroad:
- UPI needs an Indian number, not just an IP. UPI apps are tied to an Indian mobile number registered with your bank — a VPN can’t supply that, so an Indian IP alone won’t make UPI work.
- Banks watch for unusual logins. A login from an unexpected location can still trigger a security flag or a block, VPN or not. Follow your bank’s own rules.
- A dedicated IP is steadier. If you regularly access Indian net-banking, a provider’s dedicated IP add-on changes less often and trips fewer checks.
In short: use an Indian IP for content freely, and for net-banking cautiously — never treat a VPN as a substitute for the Indian SIM and details your bank actually requires.
Can you get an Indian IP for free?
Honestly, not in a way that works well. Most free VPNs have no India server at all, and the few that claim one are overcrowded, slow and quickly blocked by services like JioHotstar. Free web proxies are worse — unreliable and often insecure — and free “IP changer” extensions rarely include India and can leak your real location.
The sensible “free” route is a reputable paid VPN’s free trial or money-back guarantee. If you only need an Indian IP for a one-off — a single IPL match, a form, a login — you can get one, use it, and claim a refund within the window. Just never trust a genuinely free service with your banking. If you’re weighing the free options, read are free VPNs safe first.