In November, 2020, the Indian government banned around 43 Chinese mobile apps in addition to the 118 apps banned in September due to them being a threat to the country’s integrity and security.
@aliexpress, @logodownload, @1000logos, @drapers
WeChat, Tiktok, Shein, Aliexpress, and Club Factory were famous apps amongst the massive list with millions of users. The ban of these apps directly or indirectly affected the fashion industry and have their pros and cons.
Focusing on the pros, for now, the ban of these apps provided opportunities to their Indian substitute to develop and modify to take over the market gap and excel, allowing India to become an IT superpower. The closure of extremely fast fashion e-commerce apps like shein and club factory has given a chance for self-made small fashion houses to stand out without competition from the big companies.
This, in turn, also helps the surroundings as it promotes slow fashion and sustainability as the small businesses are environmentally conscious. These apps being made in India will also increase the GDP, with the production being in house.
The major con was the unemployment of people working with the apps. The unemployment rate was already rising due to the pandemic, and this was just the cherry on top. Influencers and creators on TikTok were also out of a job. Fashion houses dependent on TikTok were also to change their promotion techniques. Indian businesses associated with Chinese houses also faced communication limitations due to the ban of Wechat and Aliexpress.
Despite these cons, I personally feel this move is partially justified as it allows India to be self-dependent and cater for itself.
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