TikTok’s India Return Unlikely: IT Minister Quashes Speculation

The Indian government, via IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, has addressed the recent speculation concerning TikTok’s potential return to India. Vaishnaw has stated unequivocally that the ban on the Chinese short-video platform will remain in effect, effectively ending any immediate prospects of its re-entry. Addressing the rumors surrounding ByteDance’s alleged preparations to re-enter the Indian market, Vaishnaw, in an interview with Moneycontrol, confirmed that the government has not entertained any proposals on this issue. The rumors were fueled by a temporary accessibility of TikTok’s website on some Indian broadband and mobile networks like Airtel and Vodafone. This minor technical glitch sparked online discussions about a potential comeback. The ban on TikTok was imposed in June 2020, when the Indian government blocked 59 Chinese apps due to national security and data privacy concerns. This was followed by the app’s removal from the Apple and Google app stores, and the ban was permanently enforced in January 2021. India had the largest user base for TikTok, with over 200 million users prior to the ban. Chinese investors were major backers of Indian startups, investing substantially in e-commerce, fintech, and education technology sectors, before the ban.