Bytedance, the owner of the short-video app TikTok, plans to re-enter India. App was banned in 2020 due to security threats. ET reports that the popular video platform intends to re-enter the market and rehire former and new employees. Sources say the company is negotiating a partnership with Hiranandani Group.
Hiranandani Group runs data centres under Yotta Infrastructure Solutions in Mumbai. It recently launched Tez Platforms, a technology-led consumer services arm, and plans to invest $3,500 million over the next two to three years.
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TikTok India will return
According to sources, talks between the two groups are still exploratory, but union government officials were briefing. A senior government official told ET there have been no formal talks with them. When they request approval, we’ll review it.
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Given the current standoff with China, it remains to be seen if it would relaunch TikTok or other Chinese applications in India. For example, TikTok could partner with Hiranandani’s Tez Platforms or store data at Yotta Infrastructure’s data centres.
TikTok told ET that while it hoped to “reconnect” with Indian users, it had no plans to resume operations in India. Bytedance did not respond to questions about its new hiring in India, partnership with the Hiranandani Group, or possible return to India.
Uncertainty over where TikTok stores and processes user data led to the ban in India. “Don’t keep user data outside India. In addition, all applications and websites save data locally or are updating their data storage and processing policies. Moreover, Tiktok returns, they must obey these rules, said the official.
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TAn industry official said that the Hiranandani group has held “exploratory talks” with ByteDance, Yotta’s Navi Mumbai data centre contains 7,000 racks. In addition, according to sources, ameer Singh, who led TikTok’s monetisation in India before the ban, is leading the return in India.
