Life after TikTok: how Indian influencers survived after Chinese apps were banned

Last June, India banned more than 200 Chinese apps amid a deterioration in bilateral ties, hitting its TikTok influencers hard

While home-grown short video apps have emerged, none have matched TikTok’s scale or reach, says an analyst. But content producers say they learned to adapt

Reading Time:4 minutes

Indian social media influencer Shivani Kapila had to find alternative platforms after TikTok was banned in India. Photo: Handout

Published: 4:00pm, 7 Sep 2021Updated: 1:54pm, 14 Sep 2021

Indian social media influencer Shivani Kapila spent more than two years amassing 10 million followers on TikTok but in June last year she discovered she was unable to access her account after the government banned the app, citing security concerns.

“Nothing was showing up and my heart was in my mouth,” said the 32-year-old, who quit her job as a human resources consultant to become a full-time influencer. “I was earning well [about US$3,000 a month] and working on collaborations with leading brands like Coca-Cola and Maybelline and top music companies. Suddenly my entire career was wiped out before my eyes.”

Millions of Indian TikTok users found themselves displaced when the government swooped on more than 200 Chinese apps amid geopolitical tensions over their disputed Himalayan border.

India was the world’s largest market for TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance and became the world’s largest platform for short videos. When TikTok was banned, the country accounted for 611 million downloads – about 30 per cent of the channel’s global total of 2 billion – followed by China with 196.6 million and the US with 165 million.

The Indian government banned a range of other apps, including similar platforms Likee and Vigo, as well as social networking app Helo that was popular with Indian celebrities, messaging app WeChat, web-based browser UC Browser, online fashion retailer Shein and online video game Clash of Kings.

The gap in the market propelled dozens of home-grown and foreign app companies to rush in with customised products.

Life after TikTok: how Indian influencers survived after Chinese apps were banned

Last June, India banned more than 200 Chinese apps amid a deterioration in bilateral ties, hitting its TikTok influencers hard While home-grown short video apps have emerged, none have matched TikTok’s scale or reach, says an analyst. But content producers say they learned to adapt

Last June, India banned more than 200 Chinese apps amid a deterioration in bilateral ties, hitting its TikTok influencers hard

While home-grown short video apps have emerged, none have matched TikTok’s scale or reach, says an analyst. But content producers say they learned to adapt