Alternatives for Banned Chinese Apps

Citing data security and national sovereignty concerns, India banned 59 Chinese Apps and immediately discontinued their use in Indian territory. These include TikTok, SHAREIt, UC Browser, CamScanner, Helo, Weibo, WeChat and Club Factory, along with other applications. Now the talk of the town is that this step is an answer to the Chinese attack at Ladakh border. Whatever be the reason, political or security purpose, the question now is that what is the alternate way now?

See the list of the apps here:

https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-name-of-the-chinese-banned-apps-in-india/articleshow/76696132.cms

The user base in India

Estimates of Sensor Tower gives the data that the video-sharing social networking app, TikTok, has seen about 611 million downloads in India over the app’s lifetime. According to media reports, the file-sharing tool SHAREIt has about 400 million users. Statcounter places UC Browser second in India market share at 10.19%, after Google Chrome (78.2%). So the ban of these 59 Applications will surely affect China a lot but at the same time, it will also have an impact on Indian society.

The impact of the ban on these Chinese Apps can be read here:

https://zeenews.india.com/india/explained-what-will-be-the-impact-of-ban-on-tiktok-and-other-chinese-apps-2292702.html

Alternate Options

After the ban of these 59 apps from the Indian market, there is a new opportunity for the app developers in India to enter the arena. The users are looking out for best alternatives to all these apps now. 

The players have entered the market and are now trying hard to fix their foot. The below links have detailed information about these new market players :

https://inc42.com/features/as-chinese-apps-get-banned-these-indian-alternatives-rise-to-fill-the-gap/

https://www.cashify.in/best-desi-indian-alternatives-to-chinese-apps

https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/chinese-app-alternatives-here-are-the-alternatives-to-top-chinese-apps/slidelist/76463292.cms

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/010720/here-are-indian-alternatives-to-the-59-banned-chinese-apps.html

However, this step of banning Chinese apps is proven to be fruitful for India in many ways. It creates job opportunities, welcomes new entrepreneurs, and also safeguards its users' privacy.

How Does India's Ban on Chinese Apps Fit Into the Global Trade Debate?

Read the article to understand how it will impact the economy:

https://thewire.in/tech/india-china-apps-global-trade-debate

https://thewire.in/tech/after-the-indian-ban-on-59-chinese-apps-what-comes-next

Read the below articles to know what are the other countries in the world thinking?

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53319955

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/07/us-looking-at-banning-tiktok-and-chinese-social-media-apps-pompeo.html

https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/tiktok-is-under-fire-from-hong-kong-to-us-days-after-ban-in-india/articleshow/76827586.cms

https://www.thequint.com/news/world/us-secretary-of-state-michael-pompeo-has-welcomed-indias-move-of-banning-chinese-apps

We, at OpenGrowth, are constantly looking for trending start-ups in the ecosystem. If you want to know any further information about the startup ecosystem, then do let us know in the comment section below. 

About the Author: Amrita Sinha

Amrita is in the field of media. She has a deep inclination towards writing and public speaking. She aims to remove the stereotypical mindset of society. She loves to read and photography is her passion.