After nearly five years of absence, TikTok’s website is once again live in India—though the app itself remains banned.
Starting today, users across India have reported that TikTok’s web platform is accessible, marking the first time since its 2020 nationwide ban that the site has re-emergedThe Economic TimesEntrackrMoneycontrol. Despite this online revival, the TikTok app continues to be unavailable on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in IndiaEntrackr@mathrubhumi.
The 2020 crackdown, imposed amid rising geopolitical tensions and national security concerns following the Galwan Valley clash, saw TikTok banned alongside 58 other Chinese appsEntrackrIndia TodayThe Washington Post. Since then, platforms like Moj, Josh, Chingari, and MX TakaTak—along with Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts—filled the vacuum, redefining India’s short‑video ecosystemEntrackrHobo.VideoThe Washington Post.
This unexpected web-based return has sparked speculation amid warming diplomatic ties between India and China. Recent visits—including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s to New Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming trip to the SCO summit—fuel hopes that TikTok’s full return might be on the horizonNewsBytesTechlusive@mathrubhumiDeccan HeraldEntrackr. But for now, no official statement has come from TikTok or Indian authoritiesNewsBytes@mathrubhumiTechlusive.
