Ban on Chinese apps seen to offer huge opportunity for new entrepreneurs

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.