Sahil Kumar used to have more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok – four years later, only 94,000 people follow his folk dances on Instagram after India’s ban on the Chinese-owned app.
Choreographer Sahil Kumar found fame showcasing folk dances on TikTok, but his profile has been dormant since the video he posted four years ago supporting India's decision to ban the platform.
TikTok, although a latecomer compared to other social media giants, swiftly gained nationwide popularity in India. A year before its ban, it boasted over 200 million Indian users, roughly one-seventh of the population. Following its exit, local tech startups rushed to fill the gap with their own short-video apps, but it was established US platforms that ultimately dominated the new