Chinese tech giants have tens of billions at stake in India

As Chinese tech companies push abroad, India has been a land of opportunity. But rising tensions between the two countries are starting to raise questions about the future of Chinese tech in India.

In the past five years, firms including short-video giant Bytedance, e-commerce firm Alibaba, social media behemoth Tencent, and smartphone maker Xiaomi have participated in funding rounds for Indian startups totaling more than $12.3 billion, according to my analysis of public data. These investments have helped to scale Indian unicorns like Paytm, Snapdeal, Swiggy, and Ola.

Now, however, these Chinese companies could be caught in the crossfire of a geopolitical battle. On June 29, Indian officials banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns—including apps made by companies that have been investing millions in the country’s startups.

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