Is tiktok back in India? Bytedance’s new job openings in Gurugram fuels speculation 

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has sparked speculation about the app’s possible return to India after posting two new job openings at its Gurugram office and making parts of TikTok’s website accessible again. 

The openings — one for a Bengali-speaking content moderator and another for a wellbeing partnership and operations lead — suggest that ByteDance is quietly maintaining a foothold in India despite the ban that has kept TikTok out of the market since June 2020. 

TikTok, along with 58 other Chinese apps, was blocked following deadly border clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. The Indian government cited national security and data privacy concerns as the reason for the move. Other ByteDance offerings such as Helo and CapCut were also shut out. 

Before its exit, TikTok was wildly popular in India, boasting nearly 200 million users — making it the platform’s second-largest market worldwide. Its potential comeback could reshape India’s short-video landscape, now dominated by Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and homegrown apps like Moj and Josh. 

The renewed buzz also comes at a time when India and China are signaling efforts to ease tensions. On August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin, where both leaders expressed willingness to work together. 

Still, TikTok’s app remains unavailable on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. A company spokesperson told The Economic Times, “We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive.” 

ByteDance’s track record in India has been mixed. While its music app Resso shut down in January 2024, productivity platform Lark continues to operate. The latest job postings indicate the company hasn’t fully given up on India and may be laying the groundwork for a slow return. 

For now, though, TikTok remains officially banned.