In a significant move impacting India’s developer community, the government has directed internet service providers to block access to Supabase, a widely used developer database platform. The order was issued on February 24 under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which allows authorities to restrict public access to online content. No official reason has been provided for the action and it remains unclear whether the decision is linked to cybersecurity concerns, copyright issues, or another matter. The duration of the restrictions is also unknown.
The San Francisco-based company began flagging access issues on social media from Wednesday. The disruption was first noticed on Reliance Industries’ JioFiber network, but users soon reported similar problems across multiple ISPs and telecom operators. In one post on Friday, Supabase tagged IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking intervention to restore services. The company later removed the message but confirmed that the platform continued to remain blocked for many users. While the main website was accessible in India, its core developer infrastructure was not. At the time of reporting, access to supabase.co was unavailable on ACT Fibernet, JioFiber and Airtel connections in New Delhi. However, 2 ACT Fibernet users in Bengaluru said they could still access it, suggesting uneven enforcement.
An Indian startup founder, speaking anonymously to a publication to avoid repercussions, said new user sign-ups from India had dropped over the past 2 to 3 days. A technology consultant working with local startups also said they were unable to reliably use Supabase for both development and production. Although the company suggested workarounds such as changing DNS settings or using a VPN, the founder noted that these steps were not practical for most users.
India accounts for 9% of Supabase’s global traffic, making it the platform’s 4th-largest market, according to Similarweb. Global visits surged 111% year-over-year to 4.2 million in January, while India saw a 179% rise to 365,000 visits. US traffic increased 168.5% to 627,000. Founded in 2020 by CEO Paul Copplestone and CTO Ant Wilson, Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase built on PostgreSQL. The startup has raised about $380 million across 3 funding rounds since September 2024, reaching a valuation of $5 billion. Commenting on broader implications, Raman Jit Singh Chima of Access Now said, “This is a simple fact that has grave consequences for developers and others,” adding, “You don’t know where you can safely run projects without the danger that something might happen where it gets blocked and suddenly you’re scrambling to find a way.”
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