TikTok is coming back to India with a new branding

TikTok was one of the fastest-growing short video platforms in India until the Indian government decided to ban it from the region two years ago, due to privacy concerns about the developer's connections to China. However, it appears that the ByteDance-owned app is looking to return to India through a new partnership.

Economic Times report claims that Bytedance is exploring the idea of ​​bringing back the popular TikTok app in India through a new partnership. In addition, the company also plans to rehire its former employees and re-enter the market. The company is in initial talks with the Hiranandani Group for a partnership in India.

For those unaware, Hiranandani Group is based in Mumbai and is one of the largest real estate developers in India with projects spread across Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. The company also runs data centre operations under Yotta Infrastructure Solutions and recently launched a consumer services arm, Tez Platforms. He expects to invest up to Rs 3.5 billion rupees over the next two to three years in the new business.

A senior government official confirmed to ET: "There have been no formal talks with us yet. But, we have been informed of the plans. As and when they come to us for approvals, we will examine their request". If TikTok comes to India once again, it could partner with Hiranandani's consumer technology business, Tez Platforms, or store data in the group's Yotta Infrastructure data centres.

The report adds that Bytedance is also actively hiring for new roles in India. If and only if the app is relaunched, it will need to follow the rules set by the Indian government. This includes storing critical user data locally in India and not outside the country. Finally, it is also not confirmed if it will be launched with the same brand or with a different one.