You can't use TikTok in India anytime soon
What's the story
India's Information Technology (IT) Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has confirmed that there are no plans to lift the ban on popular short video app TikTok. The statement comes amid speculation of a possible return of the app, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, in light of improving India-China relations. Vaishnaw told Moneycontrol, "There is absolutely no proposal which has come from any quarters."
App ban timeline
TikTok's website was briefly accessible last month
Last month, TikTok's website was briefly accessible on some broadband and mobile networks like Airtel Broadband and Vodafone Idea. The app was one of the first batch of Chinese apps to be banned in June 2020 over national security concerns. Following the government's order, Apple and Google removed the apps from their respective mobile app stores. The ban on TikTok was made permanent by the government in January 2021.
Additional bans
Other ByteDance apps banned in India
Along with TikTok, the Indian government had also banned ByteDance's other apps such as social media platform Helo and video editing app CapCut in June 2020. The action against these apps came under the same national security concerns that led to TikTok's ban. ByteDance later shut down its music streaming service Resso in India after it was removed from Google Play and Apple App Store.
Investor outlook
Will China be able to invest in India?
When asked about the return of Chinese investors to India's tech sector, Vaishnaw said, "We will see as it happens." He added that policies would be clearly shared with everyone, emphasizing India's transparency. The minister also addressed the potential collaboration between India and China in semiconductor manufacturing or electronics supply chain. He said the global value chain is a natural characteristic of the semiconductor industry and should ultimately benefit Indian people and industries.