Tiki, a short-form video app similar to TikTok, has announced that it will be discontinuing its operations in India on June 27, according to a report by TechCrunch.
This decision adds to the growing number of businesses that have struggled to fill the gap left by the ban on TikTok imposed by the Indian government in the South Asian market.
Tiki Halts Operations
In an official post, Tiki expressed its regret and informed its users about the impending shutdown. "We regret to inform you that Tiki will be shutting down its operations. As of 11.59 PM India time, June 27, 2023, all Tiki functions and services will cease," the announcement stated.
The closure of Tiki is surprising considering it boasted approximately 35 million monthly active users in India, its sole operational market, as reported by Sensor Tower and said by an industry executive, according to TechCrunch. Tiki was known for its original content and videos with a local focus.
Singapore-based Tiki entered the Indian market immediately after TikTok was banned by New Delhi. The ownership of Tiki, which was under the entity named Dol Technologies, remains somewhat mysterious.
Several industry insiders speculated that Tiki could have been a loosely affiliated subsidiary of one of the Chinese video apps that were banned by the Indian government in mid-2020.
In a statement made through Tiki's social media accounts, the company acknowledged the challenges faced by the tech industry, which have resulted in the closure of numerous startups.
Despite its status as a relatively small startup functioning in both Singapore and India, Tiki took pride in its role as a platform that highlighted genuine talent, as conveyed in the message endorsed by the 'Team Tiki' signatories.
TikTok's Ban on India
The discontinuation of Tiki coincides with a period of swift consolidation and departures within India's short video market. In the previous year, Times Internet relinquished ownership of MX Player's short video enterprise to ShareChat, while Xiaomi recently terminated its short video service known as Zili in the nation.
TikTok, a popular video-sharing app, was banned in India due to concerns related to national security and user privacy.
The Indian government imposed the ban in June 2020, citing the app's potential threat to India's sovereignty and integrity, as well as its collection and misuse of user data.
The ban on TikTok and several other Chinese mobile applications came amid escalating tensions between India and China following a border clash between the two countries.
The Indian government argued that these apps posed a risk to the country's security and decided to ban them as a precautionary measure. The ban on TikTok in India led to a significant impact on the app's user base and the short video market in the country.
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