TikTok’s official website has quietly gone live for some users in India, the first sign of accessibility since the popular short-video platform was banned in 2020. The move has fueled speculation that the company may be preparing for a return to one of its largest former markets, though no official word has been issued by the government or TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.
Reports suggest the site became accessible on Friday, though the TikTok mobile app remains unavailable on both Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Several users on social media platform X noted mixed experiences—some were able to open the site while others still could not—hinting that this could be a limited rollout or a test phase.
The timing comes as New Delhi and Beijing show signs of easing tensions. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar earlier this week, with both sides agreeing to work toward a more stable and cooperative relationship. Direct flights between the two countries are also set to resume, while Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit China at the end of August for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.
TikTok was originally banned in June 2020 along with 58 other Chinese apps, shortly after the deadly Galwan Valley clash in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. The government cited national security and data privacy concerns at the time, calling the apps “prejudicial” to India’s sovereignty and integrity. The ban cut off TikTok from more than 200 million Indian users overnight, a blow that reshaped the short-video landscape in India and created space for homegrown apps like Moj and Josh, as well as rivals like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
For now, TikTok’s future in India remains uncertain. The 2020 ban is still officially in place, and no regulatory approval has been granted for its return. The sudden visibility of its website, however, suggests that something may be quietly shifting behind the scenes.
