23andMe Shut Down? The Best Replacement for South Asians (Upload + Impute)
23andMe — the company that introduced millions of people to consumer DNA testing — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2025, after years of financial pressure and a major 2023 data breach. Its future as a consumer service has been uncertain, and during bankruptcy proceedings the company's vast genetic database has been treated as a sellable asset. For the roughly 15 million people who tested with it, that raises an urgent question: what happens to my DNA, and where should I go next?
If your heritage is South Asian, the answer is unusually clear — and it does not require buying a brand-new test. This guide covers the two things that matter: how to protect the data you already have, and why uploading it to Helixline is the strongest replacement for Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Nepali ancestry.
The 30-second plan: (1) Download your 23andMe raw data now and save it. (2) Upload that file to Helixline for a state- and community-level South Asian ancestry report, from $25. (3) Optionally, delete your 23andMe account once your file is safe. Your saved file works independently of whatever happens to 23andMe.
Step 1: Save your raw data before anything changes
Whatever you decide long-term, download your raw DNA file today. When a company is restructured or sold, account access and data policies can change with little notice. Sign in to 23andMe, go to your profile → Settings → 23andMe Data → Download, and request the raw data file (not the report PDFs). You will receive a .txt or .zip. Keep it backed up. Our detailed walkthrough is here: what to do as 23andMe shuts down and how to save your 23andMe DNA data.
Step 2: Choose a replacement that actually understands South Asian DNA
Here is the irony many South Asians discovered: 23andMe rarely gave them a satisfying ancestry result in the first place. Its reference panels are Europe-weighted, so Indian heritage was reported as one broad region. Whichever way 23andMe's story ends, replacing it with another Europe-centric platform repeats the same limitation. The right replacement for South Asian ancestry is one built for it.
Helixline imputes the markers your 23andMe chip never read (see how imputation works) and compares your genome to 2,500+ curated South Asian reference samples across 1,000+ sub-populations, plus ancient-DNA references (Indus Valley, Steppe, AASI). The result is the state- and community-level breakdown, ANI/ASI/AASI proportions, and Y-DNA / mtDNA haplogroups that 23andMe never offered.
"Is 23andMe even available in India?"
This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the honest answer is that 23andMe never had a strong, fully supported presence in India — shipping, sample logistics, support, and India-specific resolution were all limited. For customers in India, an India-native service is simply more practical: domestic shipping and support, payment in rupees, results tuned to South Asian populations, and data stored in India under the DPDP Act 2023. For the diaspora abroad, you can skip shipping entirely and just upload your existing file.
Your options at a glance
| Your situation | Best move | Price |
|---|---|---|
| You have a 23andMe / AncestryDNA file and want ancestry | Upload to Helixline (Upload Ancestry) | $25 |
| You want ancestry + health + pharmacogenomics | Upload to Helixline (Upload Complete) | $50 |
| You never tested anywhere | Order a fresh Helixline kit | See /buy & /international |
| You want clinical-grade health depth | Helixline Decode / Infinite microarray | See /buy |
Don't lose your DNA story when 23andMe changes hands
Save your file, then upload it to Helixline for a high-resolution South Asian ancestry report — stored in India, never sold. From $25.
Upload Your 23andMe FileWhy data ownership is the real story
The 23andMe episode is a lesson in what happens when your genome lives on a platform whose business model and ownership can change. A genome is not a password you can reset — it is permanent and shared with your relatives. That is why Helixline's model is deliberately different: genetic data is stored on infrastructure in India, is never sold to third parties, and can be exported or permanently deleted on request under the DPDP Act 2023. When you upload a file, you stay in control of it. We compare the privacy dimension in detail in the best site to upload your DNA for South Asian ancestry.
What you keep, what you gain
Uploading to Helixline does not erase anything you already did — your saved 23andMe file remains yours, and any matches you found elsewhere are unaffected. What you gain is the ancestry resolution 23andMe could not provide for South Asians, on a platform that will not put your genome up for sale. For the full how-to, see uploading your 23andMe raw data for South Asian ancestry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 23andMe shutting down, and what happens to my data?
23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2025 and its future as a consumer service has been uncertain, with its database treated as a sellable asset during proceedings. Your account may continue to work for now, but ownership and data-handling can change when a company is sold or restructured. The safe move is to download your raw DNA data while you still can, so your information does not depend on the fate of the company. Regulators in several regions have urged customers to consider deleting their data from the platform.
What should I do with my 23andMe data now?
Download your raw data file from 23andMe (Settings, then the 23andMe Data download option) and save it somewhere safe. Once you have the file, you can keep getting value from it without 23andMe — for example, uploading it to Helixline for a high-resolution South Asian ancestry report. If you are concerned about privacy, you can then request deletion of your 23andMe account and data, knowing your saved file is independent of them.
What is the best 23andMe alternative for South Asians and Indians?
For South Asian ancestry, Helixline is the strongest replacement because it is built specifically for Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Nepali genetics. It imputes the missing markers in your file and compares it to 2,500+ curated South Asian reference samples, producing state- and community-level ancestry that 23andMe never offered. You can either upload your saved 23andMe file from $25 or order a fresh Helixline kit, and your data is stored in India under the DPDP Act.
Is 23andMe available in India?
23andMe has never had a strong, fully supported presence in India — shipping, sample logistics and support have been limited, and its reference data offers little India-specific resolution. For customers in India, an India-native service like Helixline is far more practical: domestic shipping and support, payment in rupees, results tuned to South Asian populations, and data stored in India. Diaspora users abroad can simply upload an existing 23andMe or AncestryDNA file instead.
Do I need a new test, or can I just upload my old 23andMe file?
If you already have a 23andMe (or AncestryDNA) raw data file, you do not need a new test for ancestry — just upload the file to Helixline. We impute the missing SNPs and return a detailed South Asian ancestry report from $25, in about 7 days. A fresh microarray kit is only necessary if you never tested, or if you want clinical-grade health and carrier-screening depth.
Protect your DNA story today: upload your 23andMe file to Helixline and get the Indian ancestry detail it should have shown you all along.