TechCrunch has learned that SupaBase, a popular developer database platform, is facing disruptions in India as SupaBase – one of its key markets – has been blocked in India. New Delhi ordered internet providers to block their websites, resulting in disruption of access to all networks.
According to a source familiar with the matter, the interception order was issued on February 24 under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act. This provision empowers the government to restrict public access to online content.
The Indian government did not publicly provide a reason for the move, and it was not immediately clear whether the action was linked to cybersecurity concerns, a copyright complaint or some other issue. It was also not clear how long the restrictions would remain in place.
Access to Supabase has been inconsistent in India for the past several days, with the San Francisco-based company acknowledging the issue in a post on social media from Wednesday. While the restrictions were first reported by Supabase on Reliance Industries’ JioFiber network, users have since flagged similar issues on multiple internet providers and telecom networks. In a post on Friday, Supabase tagged India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, asking him to intervene and restore access, though the company later removed the message and said in a subsequent update that the site was blocked for many users in the country.
An Indian founder, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid potential repercussions, told TechCrunch that he has stopped seeing new user sign-ups from India in the last two to three days. A technology consultant working with a local startup, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were unable to reliably access Supabase for both development and production purposes.
While Supbase suggested workarounds such as switching DNS settings or using a VPN (which re-routes Internet traffic to bypass local restrictions), the founder said such steps were not practical for most end users.
At the time of publishing, TechCrunch was able to verify that supabase.co is inaccessible on ACT Fibernet, JioFiber and Airtel connections in New Delhi. However, two users on ACT Fibernet in Bengaluru said they were still able to access the service, suggesting that the restrictions may be applied unevenly.
techcrunch event
Boston, MA
|
9 June 2026
Notably, Supabase’s main website remained accessible in India – but not its underlying developer infrastructure.
According to SimilarWeb data, India is SupaBase’s fourth-largest source of traffic, accounting for about 9% of global visits, highlighting the potential fallout for the country’s developer ecosystem. Global traffic to the platform increased more than 111% year over year to nearly 4.2 million visits in January. Visits to India increased by nearly 179% to approximately 365,000, while visits to the US increased by 168.5% to approximately 627,000.
Raman Jeet Singh Cheema, Asia Pacific policy director at Access Now, said the incident highlights broader concerns about India’s website blocking regime.
“This is a simple fact that will have serious consequences for developers and others,” he told TechCrunch. “You never know where you can safely run projects without the risk that something might happen where it gets blocked, and suddenly you’re scrambling to find a way out.”
India has previously faced criticism over widespread website blocking measures. In 2014, authorities briefly restricted access to services like Vimeo, Pastebin, and Weebly, as well as the developer platform GitHub, during a security investigation. According to earlier reports, users on some Indian networks in 2023 also reported that a key GitHub content domain was blocked by some ISPs.
Founded in 2020 by CEO Paul Copplestone and CTO Ant Wilson, Supabase positions itself as an open-source alternative to Firebase built on PostgreSQL. The startup has gained popularity amid growing interest in so-called “vibe coding” tools and AI-powered app development, and has raised nearly $380 million in three funding rounds through September 2024, pushing its valuation to $5 billion.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT, as well as telecom providers including ACT Fibernet, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, did not respond to requests for comment. Copleston and Wilson also did not respond.
