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The ban on Chinese apps offers a huge opportunity for new entrepreneurs to grow, according to Rohith Bhat, Chief Executive Officer of Udupi-based 99Games, a gaming company.
He told BusinessLine that Indian entrepreneurs can now quickly start small with apps similar to the Chinese ones.
His company has a gaming platform called GameGully. He said it is similar to an app called Hago, which was banned on June 29.
Asked if there is an increase in the number of downloads, he said it is hardly a few hours after the ban has been announced, and they are still analysing it. However, he said some of the Indian competitors to TikTok are getting a lot of attention now.
Dikshith Rai, Chief Executive Officer of Mangaluru-based Codecraft Technologies (a software and app development company), said that it is the right time for entrepreneurs to promote their apps similar to the banned ones.
He said starting a new app from scratch might be tricky unless the idea has a clear USP (unique selling proposition). “If you are trying to replicate the same thing, it may not be sustainable,” he said.
Bhat felt that the companies that have become bigger, already in the growth phase and those who have received two-three rounds of funding will have a tough time to find alternative investors as many investors are Chinese.
Asked if Chinese investments will be affected, Rai said there might be some short-term impact. However, India is a hot market and no investor can ignore it, he added.