Chingari app, which is being touted as a new “Indian alternative” to TikTok, has crossed over 25 lakh downloads on Google Play store. According to the company, the app reached the latest milestone of 25 lakhs downloads from roughly 6 lakh downloads in just ten days. The short video-sharing app has largely favourable reviews with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. The app is also available to download via Apple App Store where its average rating is of 3.9 out of 5. Recently, another TikTok rival, Mitron app crossed one crore downloads on Google Play store.
What is Chingari app?
The Chingari app is short video-sharing platform founded by two Bengaluru-based programmers, Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam. The app was first launched on Google Play in November 2018 while it debuted on iOS in January 2019, a company representative told Gadgets 360.
Similar to TikTok, Chingari app is free to download and allows users to view or upload short videos on the platform. Users can watch the video by scrolling up or down, without signing in. Users, however, are required to login to like or upload videos. Additionally, the app is available in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.
The app requires permission to access the phone’s camera, location, and microphone to properly function. Its privacy policy is detailed on the company website. The company in a note has also claimed that Chingari users get points (per view) for their videos, which later can be redeemed for money. The Chingari app also offers access to trending news, entertainment news, quotes, and memes as well.
Why is Chingari app becoming so popular?
The rise in Chinagri’s userbase comes at a time when India is witnessing a growing anti-China sentiment. Recently, another Indian TikTok rival, Mitron app hit over 1 crore downloads on Google Play.
The company has also been updating the app since its launch for better user experience. Speaking about this, Chingari Co-founder Sumit Ghosh said, “Chingari has been engineered and developed for over two years with regular feedback from the users to cater the fast moving needs of modern Bharat. Also, Chingari ensures transparency and highest data privacy standards.”
The app is also generating a lot of buzz on social media. The chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra has come out in support for the app on Twitter.
Which is the bestselling Vivo smartphone in India? Why has Vivo not been making premium phones? We interviewed Vivo’s director of brand strategy Nipun Marya to find out, and to talk about the company’s strategy in India going forward. We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.