Meet Chingari, TikTok's latest rival in India
What's the story
Amid heightened tensions along the LAC, calls to boycott Chinese goods have gone to a whole new level. Several Chinese brands are already facing the brunt of the geopolitical issue, including popular video-sharing app TikTok. Now, in another big blow, the service is being challenged by a new and highly popular video app called 'Chingari'. Here's more about it.
App
Chingari: A short-form video sharing service
Developed by engineers from Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Karnataka, Chingari is the Indian alternative to TikTok. The app debuted all the way back in 2018 but has gone viral just recently when TikTok started losing its share in India due to its myriad of issues - including the case of allowing misogynistic content - and the subsequent Indo-China tensions along the border.
Growth
Over 1 million installs on Play Store
At the time of writing, the app had over 1 million (10 lakh) downloads and a 4.6-star-rating on the Google Play Store. However, speaking to The Times of India, Sumit Ghosh, the Chief of Product for the app, said that the recent stats have shown they have got more than 25 lakh installs. "We are receiving an overwhelming response from Indian users," he added.
Features
What you get on the app?
Chingari does not look finished (with certain features still under maintenance) but there is a lot to look forward to. This includes TikTok-like short-form videos across a range of categories as well as dedicated sections for exploring news and playing Chingari quizzes. The listing of the app says that it has 10,000+ creators and over 100,000 active users.
Languages
Multiple Indian languages supported
Along with a plenty of content to explore and share, Chingari also offers support for multiple Indian languages and a dark mode. "This is the only social application developed in India which is a complete rival to TikTok App," Ghosh tells TOI. "The app is vernacular and is available in multiple languages including regional languages like Odia, Gujarati, and Marathi, too."
Information
Available for both Android and iOS
Chingari is available for both Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store right away.