TikTok, the globally popular short-video platform owned by China’s ByteDance, has begun recruitment for new roles in its Gurgaon office, raising questions about its future plans in India despite the app remaining banned in the country since June 2020. The hiring development, first reported by Hindustan Times on August 29, 2025, has sparked speculation among industry watchers, though government sources have maintained that the ban is still in effect.
Background: TikTok’s Ban in India
TikTok was among the 59 Chinese apps banned by the Indian government in June 2020. The decision was taken amid growing security and data privacy concerns, following escalating tensions with China after the Galwan Valley clashes. At the time of the ban, TikTok had an estimated 200 million users in India and was a dominant force in the country’s digital and influencer ecosystem.
The ban, which was reinforced in January 2021, led to a major shift in India’s short-video market. Domestic platforms like Moj, Josh, and MX TakaTak emerged as strong alternatives, filling the vacuum left by TikTok’s exit. The app remains unavailable on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India.
Following the ban, ByteDance significantly scaled down its operations in India. In February 2023, the company laid off all 40 of its Indian employees, offering severance packages of up to nine months. This appeared to mark the end of TikTok’s active presence in the country.
Recent Hiring Activity in Gurgaon
Despite its absence from the Indian app ecosystem, TikTok has recently posted job openings on LinkedIn for two roles at its Gurgaon office. The positions are centered around Trust and Safety, indicating the company’s focus on backend operations rather than direct consumer engagement.
The first role is Content Moderator (Bengali Speaker) – Trust and Safety. Responsibilities include monitoring and filtering content such as images, videos, and text to ensure compliance with TikTok’s community guidelines. This involves addressing sensitive content like bullying, hate speech, child safety violations, and depictions of harm. The requirements call for fluency in English and Bengali, an understanding of internet regulations and cultural nuances, and preferably a graduate degree.
The second position is Wellbeing Partnership and Operations Lead – Trust and Safety. This role involves leading a team to expand regional wellbeing programs globally, managing resources, coordinating with partner organizations, and ensuring compliance with TikTok’s international safety standards. Applicants are required to have at least five years of project management experience and strong analytical skills to interpret wellbeing data.
Industry Interpretation
These recruitments suggest that TikTok is either maintaining or rebuilding its Trust and Safety infrastructure in India. While the company has not made any official announcement about re-entering the Indian market, its emphasis on content moderation and user safety indicates a long-term commitment to keeping its backend operations active in the country.
The job descriptions highlight TikTok’s broader mission of ensuring a safe online community for users worldwide. By hiring locally for moderation and wellbeing initiatives, ByteDance could be strengthening its compliance framework and preparing for future opportunities, should regulatory conditions change.
Government Stance
Despite the speculation, government officials have reiterated that TikTok’s ban in India continues to remain in force. Any possibility of the app’s return would require official clearance, which appears unlikely in the current geopolitical climate.
For now, TikTok’s hiring drive in Gurgaon seems to be a move to enhance its global Trust and Safety network rather than an immediate step toward relaunching the app in India. Still, the development is being closely watched by the industry, given TikTok’s past dominance in the Indian digital market and the ongoing growth of short-video platforms in the country.
