TikTok, the short-video app once at the center of India’s digital boom, has quietly resurfaced after five years of absence. The app itself is still blocked, but its website has gone live, allowing access only to the homepage. AliExpress, another Chinese platform banned in 2020, is also visible online though shopping features remain inactive. So far, the Indian government has not commented on the development.
Before the 2020 ban, TikTok had become ingrained in the Indian digital culture for many months. From a number of small-town performers to full-time influencers, the app gave people a voice. Those million voices had hardly ever been heard before. There came a sudden loss with the app being banned. Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and some other homegrown apps, although tried to bridge the gap, have not had overwhelming success doing it.
Globally, TikTok hasn’t slowed down. In the US, it has created a new generation of millionaires. Charli D’Amelio tops the list with estimated yearly earnings of $23.5 million and more than 216 million followers. Close behind is Khaby Lame, who turned his silent comedy skits into global campaigns with brands like Hugo Boss and Binance. Creators such as Dixie D’Amelio, Addison Rae, Bella Poarch, and Zach King have parlayed TikTok fame into music releases, movie roles, and lucrative business ventures.
The contrast could not be stronger. American influencers create multi-million-dollar careers, yet Indian creators are shut out from the platform that once gave them global reach. Analyst see a strong potential of TikTok fully returned to India in turning the short video battles in the country. Startups such as Moj and Josh, and the global giants Instagram and YouTube, now reign there, but many users still see TikTok as the original playground.
For now, the comeback feels tentative. The website’s limited access could be a technical test, a soft relaunch, or simply a glitch. But the buzz it has already created shows that India’s digital audience has not forgotten TikTok. Whether the government clears the way for a full-scale return remains the big question — one that could decide the future of India’s creator economy.
