TikTok says it remains ‘hopeful’ about returning to India but has no plans to resume operations
- ByteDance-owned TikTok has been banned in India since a deadly border clash between Indian and Chinese troops two years ago
- An Indian news report said this week that ByteDance was planning to partner with Hiranandani Group to bring back TikTok
TikTok, the popular short video app that has been banned in India since 2020, on Thursday denied a report that it was looking into re-entering the market.
Indian newspaper The Economic Times reported this week that ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, was planning to reintroduce the app to India through a partnership with Mumbai-based realty giant Hiranandani Group.
“While we continue to be hopeful about reconnecting with our community in India who used TikTok as a creative platform for their stories, performances, education, and livelihoods, we have no plans to resume operations at this time,” a TikTok representative said in an emailed response to the South China Morning Post.
Following a deadly Himalayan border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in June 2020, the Indian government banned 59 mainland-developed apps, including TikTok, citing national security and privacy concerns. Other major apps that were banned include Tencent Holdings’ WeChat and Alibaba Group Holding’s UC Browser.
Alibaba is the owner of the Post.
Before the crackdown, Chinese firms accounted for six out of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world’s second most populous nation, according to a report by MacroPolo, a think tank run by the Chicago-based Paulson Institute.