Behind the Modi–Xi Warmth, Is TikTok Quietly Knocking on India’s Door Again?

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Amid improving relations between India and China, speculations were rife that the popular short-video app TikTok could make a comeback in the country. However, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has categorically dismissed these rumors. He made it clear that the government has no plans to lift the ban on TikTok.

In an interview with a private media house Moneycontrol, the minister officially clarified the government’s stance. When asked whether there had been any internal discussion on TikTok’s return, he responded, “There has been no such discussion within the government.” On reports that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, was trying to re-enter India, he added, “We have not received any proposal from them so far.”

The speculations gained traction after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to China and his meeting with President Xi Jinping, which signaled warmer ties between the two nations. Adding to the buzz, TikTok’s website briefly became accessible in India last month due to a technical glitch. This triggered speculation on social media that the government might be preparing to bring the app back secretly.

It is worth noting that India banned TikTok along with 59 other Chinese apps in June 2020, citing national security concerns during heightened border tensions with China. The government alleged that these apps were sending sensitive data of Indian users to servers in China, posing a serious threat to national security. In January 2021, the ban was made permanent. At the time of the ban, India was TikTok’s largest market with nearly 200 million users.