The cross border tension at the LAC in Ladakh region, coupled with PM Modi’s call of vocal for local has led to a number of Indians uninstalling or not downloading Chinese apps on their smartphones.
As per data by SensorTower quoted in a report by The Economic Times popular Chinese apps have seen a dip in downloads. These include TikTok, Bigo Live, PUBG, Likee, Helo, etc. TikTok, which has the largest user base in India after China, was a five percent fall in downloads from April to May, and 38 percent drop from May to June 22.
Notably, TikTok recorded the best quarter for an app with 2 billion downloads in Q1 2020, with 30.3 percent or 611 million app downloads coming from India.
Also Read: Here are some of the popular Chinese apps on Android and iOS in India
Popular mobile gaming app PUBG too saw a decline in downloads between May and June.
| App | April | May | June 1 to June 22 |
| TikTok | 2,35,00,000 | 2,24,00,000 | 1,39,00,000 |
| PUBG Mobile | 99,00,000 | 1,22,00,000 | 66,00,000 |
| Helo | 1,66,00,000 | 1,49,00,000 | 92,00,000 |
| Likee | 67,00,000 | 70,00,000 | 43,00,000 |
| Bigo Live | 25,00,000 | 26,00,000 | 18,00,000 |
Several brands have too refrained from advertising on these Chinese apps.
However, experts believe that downloads will pick up once the border tensions ease, bringing back brand advertisements on to the platform.
“For now, downloading Chinese apps may seem like a grave thing to do but remember that public sentiment is fickle. Social media addiction is like cocaine. You may give it up in anger but then the itch comes back," said Santosh Pai, Partner at Link Legal, which advises Chinese clients on investments in India.
The Boycott China campaign is not limited to software. Indians on social media platforms have been calling out for boycotting Chinese smartphones and goods. However, brands see no impact on sales due to the outrage.
Also Read: A trade war with China would hurt India more
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