Chinese apps' penetration in India crashes to 29% post-ban: Report

Amid India-China border tensions and data privacy issues that led to the banning of over 100 Chinese mobile apps, the penetration of these apps in the Indian market has dropped significantly, according to a report by Mint quoting data from Nielsen.

According to the report, the penetration of these apps or the percentage of users using these applications per week dropped from 81 percent to 29 percent in the country.

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The app ban also resulted in a decrease in the overall time spent on a smartphone, with data suggesting that users spent 3 hours 14 minutes in August, in comparison to 3 hours 54 minutes in April. The report added that people spent 3 hours 22 minutes in January, which was before the coronavirus spread in India.

The study showed that all audiences, spent comparatively lesser time on their phones, and those residing in non-metros spent 5 percent less in comparison to April. The 15-24 and 25-34 age groups spent 7 percent and 6 percent less time on smartphones, respectively.

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The initial 59-app ban included Bytedance’s TikTok, Alibaba’s UC Browser, Shein among others. The government later banned 47 more Chinese apps.

The app ban impacted the income of top influencers, causing an estimated Rs 120 crore dent in their income, according to the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB).