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I've got a challenge for you, America: I want you to fight fiercely for your political principles. Punch hard, and punch often. But don't presume your opponents are inherently evil, which only leads to the shutdown of intelligent argument.

Use the strength of your ideas to persuade, and try to not debase your worthiest positions of any useful purpose by insinuating that your adversaries, who are still human beings, are permanently stained.

Don't mistake this for a plea for the mushy "No Labels" centrism of certain New York Times columnists and billionaires with savior complexes. That isn't the answer to the country's deep divisions, rather, it's nothing but its own technocratic ideology that puts a disturbing amount of power in the hands of "top men."

Let's get a few things clear: Arguing about politics is good, bipartisan "unity" is overrated, and necessary societal reforms don't happen without rancor. A country whose citizens march in firm lockstep is a terrifying prospect. It's good that we have a right-wing and a left-wing and everything in between, and we need to fight with each other to progress as a nation.

What we don't necessarily need is the toxic level of our current political climate. We do not need to assume our political adversaries are always acting in bad faith and to reflexively consider every opinion, idea, or fact uttered by the opposition to be a poisonous lie.

A culture that fights over politics is good and healthy, a culture that thinks of itself at constant war is dehumanizing.

Days after President Trump despicably tweeted a video of one of his apparent supporters shouting "White Power!" in Florida's retirement mecca The Villages, New York Times columnist and Nobel winning economist Paul Krugman tweeted an article with the headline, "Covid-19 Surge Begins Reaching Older, More Vulnerable Floridians."

Krugman added the comment: "Reality is coming for white supremacists driving golf carts."

That's a culture war battlefield in microcosm.

For Krugman, the older Floridian white supremacist in a golf cart now at increased risk of contracting coronavirus is the story. The fact that thousands of people who are not white supremacists (or even Trump supporters) are likely going to die as a result is of no concern in this culture war salvo, nor is the fact that minority communities have been disproportionately devastated by the virus.

Another culture war front was epitomized in Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah's tweet (since deleted, but apparently not because she regretted expressing the thought) that "White women are lucky we are just calling them 'Karen's.' And not calling for revenge."

This is nothing more than preemptively judging a broad swath of people based on their immutable characteristics and declaring that they deserve to face retributive justice for other people's crimes, or even their votes.

But these are world-class journalists working for vaunted legacy publications, they should know better.

On the right you've got professional victims like conservative activist Brandon Straka whose only listed credential on his website is that he's a "former liberal."

Straka, the face of the #WalkAway campaign to get people to leave the Democratic Party, performatively got himself kicked off a plane last month and banned from future travel on American Airlines...for refusing to wear a mask.

This week, Straka tweeted "Fascism is fun" over a video of peaceful protesters dancing outside New York's City Hall. He also tweeted "If BLM can take over America's streets, so can #WalkAway. My team & I have had enough of watching leftist thugs act like they own the damn streets. They do NOT," and has been actively promoting an upcoming event with Lara Trump.

This is the same guy whose "movement" is supposedly built on rejecting the left's "intolerance and societal discord" and wants to work toward "towards unity, civility, respect."

It's just another culture war front: the espousal of a rational, civil discourse that actually mimics and profits off the victim culture it despises, and freely accuses political opponents of "fascism."

America's preeminent culture warrior might be Fox News host Tucker Carlson, once a distinguished magazine feature writer and a mainstream conservative TV host who gave Rachel Maddow her big break.

He's since evolved to an ethno-nationalist populist that refers to immigrants as making our "country poor and dirtier and more divided."

Through his monologues, Carlson's not only providing Trump with ready-to-use talking points, he's building unprecedented cable news audiences. And not just with the typically geriatric Fox News viewer but in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demo.

The culture war is good for business.

In 2010, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert staged a tooth-achingly smug response to the Tea Party, "The Rally to Restore Sanity (and/or Fear)" on the National Mall in Washington, DC. In theory, it was supposed to bring people together through awkward live comedy routines and duets between Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock (who I guess were supposed to represent blue and red America coming together?).

Just as "No Labels" is based on a false premise, the "Daily Show" alumni's feckless attempt to tone down the political divisiveness that was supposedly tearing the country apart in 2010 is still wince-inducing. That's why I'd never promise a "unity" built on watered-down politics and platitudes.

While there's rarely ever value in "hearing out" those who preach overt racism or advocate for wanton violence, there's great value in vigorous disagreement. Not that it's required.

If you so choose, feel free to never speak a civil word to a conservative for the rest of your life. You can also avoid any discussion of racism with a liberal millennial. Never read any books or websites that offend you, and never allow such ideas to be discussed in your home. Assume every registered Democrat is antifa, and that every avowed Trump supporter is a crypto-Nazi. It's just safer that way.

It's also part of your American right of free association put to use, even if it's totally reductive.

Every piece of art and entertainment doesn't have to be a cultural battlefield, but that doesn't mean art shouldn't be political nor that such expressions are inherently hostile. Sports can be a diversion from partisan rancor, and they can be some of the most effective venues for addressing injustice.

What we could use at any time is less of an urge to destroy the people we don't like, for whatever reason.

Blithely reacting to the possibility that thousands of senior citizens will die because some of them will inevitably be bad people is a poor demonstration of humanity. Calling peaceful protesters "fascists" and "thugs" is as incendiary as mindless political rhetoric gets. Reflexively retweeting every "Karen" video without even checking if the crime is worthy of a human being's cancellation requires a war-like footing..

Refusing to wear a mask in an indoor public space, lest the libs win, is nothing but a vice-signaling tantrum. And parroting the canard that the only "real Americans" are the ones who live in less-populated, less-diverse states is among the laziest bad faith culture war tactics.

A mass attempt by Americans to not immediately jump to the conclusion that the other person wants to hurt them will not end racism, tribalism, or the profound political disagreements among Americans.

But giving the (even brief) initial benefit of the doubt that the person across from you is not your enemy will at least allow us to have the necessary oxygen to fight at a volume and tenor where it's possible to hear one other.

See the article here:
Culture war is over (if you want it) - Business Insider - Business Insider

Munchy Play, a British start-up, has launched the firstchildrens plate with a built-in track,manufactured by St Davids Assemblies in Haverfordwest, Wales.

The all-in-one plate and track was designed by a mum to keep mealtimes on the right track.

Suitable for infants and pre-schoolers, there are three designs, including; a train-themed Choo-Choo plate, a racetrack Vroom-Vroom plate, and a picnic inspired Tea Party plate.

Plates are suitable for children aged six months upward and has high-sidesfor self-feeding, anon-slip base, and a built-in track compatible with leading toy trains, cars and figurines.

The plate is easy-to-clean, dishwasher safe, and CE certified, plates are also free of; BPA, PVC, and melamine.

Glen Wells, general manager of St Davids Assemblies, said: Weve been at the forefront of manufacturing world class products for more than 50 years now. Its an exciting challenge to create something that has never been made before. Munchy Play is a great example of innovation at its best, and theres never been a more important time to get behind British business.

Sophia Procter, founder and CEO of Munchy Play, said: The UK leads the way in innovative design, as we found working with St Davids Assemblies. Glen and his team have been with us from the get-go, through research, development, and production. Their expertise, passion and know-how is unrivalled. Lovingly hand assembled by a dedicated team whove been with us every step of the way, its these personal touches that families will appreciate.

Continue reading here:
Munchy Play displays innovation at its best - British Plastics and Rubber

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Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Bidens clear message that the India-US partnership will be a high priority of his administration if he is elected is important in light of the tense border situation with China.

His remarks add to the strong support shown by the Republican administration of President Donald Trump both publicly and privately. Several members of the US Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, have also spoken in support of India after the brutal killing of 20 Indian soldiers by the Chinese on June 15 along the Line of Actual Control.

Biden also said this week he would lift the temporary suspension of H-1B visas imposed by Trump and hinted at a more inclusive and generous immigration policy. Given the state of the US economy, it was politically brave of him to speak in favour of foreign workers.

As a Democratic Party elder, Biden gets the big strategic picture that the India-US partnership is extremely important in maintaining the balance of power in Asia that favours democracies, especially now that China is flexing all its muscles at the same time. Bidens top advisers seem open-eyed about China.

India needs to be a partner in the region for our safetys sake and quite frankly for theirs, Biden told a fund-raiser in his signature blunt style. The partnership, a strategic partnership, is necessary and important. He said he was proud to have played an important role as senator in getting the India-US civil nuclear deal through the US Congress. The deal indeed changed the bilateral relationship in a fundamental manner.

Bidens statements should go some distance to calm nerves in New Delhi. There has been some concern within the BJP and its hyper supporters in the US about Democrats, especially the progressives in the House because they have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modis record on human rights, sometimes without an understanding of the ground situation in Kashmir. At the same time Modis total embrace of Trump by his political managers irked many Democrats, creating an unnecessary perceptional problem.

Some of BJPs concern may be justified because the progressives do indulge in selective outrage against India but most of the BJPs anger simply comes from a place of: How dare you? the posture of the insecure. The Democratic Party is not about to change one of its core tenets -- advocating respect for human rights -- however selectively it may practise it.

In fact, the left flank of the Democratic Party is pushing hard and succeeding to some extent to move the party away from the Bill Clintonesque centrism on social issues.

That said, its important to examine how Biden and some other key Democrats see Modi, his domestic policies and the changing nature of India. And whether the less-than-warm feelings for Modi will affect policy-making if Biden were elected?

Modi supporters are especially irked by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Ro Khanna, both Indian Americans, for being vocal against Modis policies following the revocation of Article 370 last August in Jammu & Kashmir. Even though the revocation itself didnt raise as many questions, the curtailment of rights, imprisonment of political leaders and the long communication blockade did. The passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) added to the bucket of criticism.

Jayapal, Khanna and a few others went full human rights on India last year, often speaking the language of paid lobbyists or groups with a clearly identifiable agenda. Jayapal even introduced a resolution on Kashmir last December, criticizing the Indian governments conduct. But also worth remembering is that Modis Kashmir moves didnt get loud Republican support either.

Whats disturbing to many Indians is that neither Jayapal nor Khanna speaks out when terrorists kill civilians in Kashmir. The recent case of a four-year-old boy killed by terrorists in Anantnag district along with a CRPF jawan, is only the latest. When Hindus are attacked in Pakistan or forcibly converted, the progressive lawmakers dont notice. Their keen sense of India and developments within seems to work selectively.

Nor have the two havent spoken out since the Chinese brutalized and killed 20 Indian soldiers. Its noteworthy because Jayapal repeatedly refers to her Indian heritage -- she was an Indian citizen until the age of 35 and how growing up in India informs her life. Her parents still live in India.

Diplomatic efforts to brief Jayapal and Khanna on Indias point of view are generally met with indifference or ignorance about basic facts. A good example is harking back to Pakistans demand for plebiscite in Kashmir, something, which a cursory reading of history would explain as to why it wasnt held. But information flow to their offices seems to come mainly from Pakistani front organisations and Khalistani outfits.

Interestingly, the other two Indian Americans in the House Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ami Bera make an effort to stay abreast of developments in India and have taken up the India-China border situation.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi, the first Indian American to be a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, told a hearing last week, India is one of our closest friends, and it is vital that we stand with India in the face of the Chinese governments border aggression. This aggression must be met with clear American resolve to stand by India and our other allies in the region.

Apart from the progressives, a few mainstream Democrats have also made moves that cause concern in Delhi. Senator Bob Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chose to club India with China and Turkey in a bill on Covid-19 relief introduced on May 7 to say that governments in these countries had taken measures that violate the human rights of their citizens without clear public health justification.

Clubbing India with China was jarring and ill-advised even if it were a single line in a 148-page bill. The bill hasnt gone anywhere but Menendez stance is noteworthy. If the Democrats win the Senate this November, he would be committee chairman.

Biden too has been critical of CAA and Modis Kashmir policies if the position paper on Muslims on his website is anything to go by. It is another piece of the puzzle that has riled up diaspora activists who are demanding a similar policy paper on Hindu Americans.

Its possible that the position paper entitled Joe Bidens Agenda for Muslim-American Communities is a vote-getting ploy to distinguish the candidate from Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric. The paper has six lines expressing disappointment about restrictions on dissent and shutting or slowing down the Internet among other points issues that have been criticised by many Indians themselves.

One can quibble about US politicians commenting on the internal affairs of India but Indians are free to surmise on race relations in the US. Theres little point in wasting too much political capital and getting over exercised about the issue.

In the end, fears that a Democratic administration may not be as friendly to India as a Republican one, especially given the feelings around Modi, are somewhat exaggerated. All administrations will see the world through the prism of US national security interests and Indias importance with or without Modi will weigh heavily.

Whats more important is whether Biden can rally the various groups struggling for prominence and help unite a party clearly searching for its soul. He has deftly pulled a large number of supporters from the Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren camps. Defeating Trump is a bigger goal than intra-party differences for most Democrats.

A former Obama Administration official told me Biden is well-positioned to handle the left field. Most of the battles will be on domestic policy and Biden has already drawn some red lines for the progressives. He is equally capable to shutting anti-India chatter down.

Democratic insiders are confident of managing their fringe better than the Republicans who gave in to Tea Party extremism and embraced Trumps divisiveness in order to win elections.

The crazy left is not as extreme as the crazy right, one Democrat told me. More importantly, Biden is old school and moderate.

Continued here:
Biden speaks to India - Observer Research Foundation

As both national and state-level polling reveal growing support for Joe Bidens bid to make Donald Trump a one-term president, Trump and his allies have begun framing the stakes of Novembers election in increasingly apocalyptic terms and rejecting the idea that a Democrat could legitimately win.

Thirty-six of the 45 men who have shouldered the burden of the American presidency have done so by way of a peaceful transfer of power from a living predecessor. Of those 36, nine have done so after failing to secure a second four-year term.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

But even by the hardball standards of American presidential politics, Trumps reelection bid stands out in history as the sole example of an incumbent president who is pushing his supporters to view a loss as the end of the republic, rather than the end of his political career.

This unprecedented strategy is raising concerns among experts on extremism and authoritarianism, and even veterans of Republican politics who say it is likely to result in violence should Trump lose in November.

While speaking last Friday at the foot of Mount Rushmore as part of an official, taxpayer-funded celebration of American independence, Trump characterized the antiracist protest movement that has swept the country in recent weeks as a new far-left fascism and a left-wing cultural revolution that is designed to overthrow the American Revolution and would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress.

The next day, on the 244th anniversary of American independence, he stood on a stage built on the White Houses south lawn for an official event at taxpayer expense, to declare war against a growing majority of Americans who oppose him, dismissing them as the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing. He claimed that the process of defeating those people is akin to the Greatest Generations battle against fascism during the Second World War.

And on Monday, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told Sean Hannitys primetime Fox News audience that the incumbent President of the United States who, according to recent polling, trails Biden in many key battleground states is the only thing that stands between the mob and the American people.

First, its the statues. Then its the businesses. Then its their homes," said Meadows, whose remarks echoed what his former House Freedom Caucus colleague Lee Zeldin told Hannity four days earlier.

Zeldin posited that losses by Trump and other Republicans in November could leave the federal government looking like governments in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Los Angeles (all of which have majority-minority populations and prominent non-white leaders).

This is what one-party rule is going to look like in Washington, if we allow the Democrats to run the table this November, he said, adding that losing isnt an option. And on that same day, American Conservative Union president Matt Schlapp a close Trump ally whose wife Mercedes is an adviser to the Trump campaign warned his 193,000 followers that if the Marxist leaders [Democrats] have their way, we will celebrate Independence Day for the last time as a free people.

Brian Klaas, a University College London professor of global politics who studied political violence in non-western nations as part of his doctoral fieldwork, told me he would be surprised if there is not at least some sporadic low-level violence around the election in the event of a Trump loss, as a result of his frequent promotion of conspiracy theories and explicit arguments against Bidens legitimacy as a candidate.

Our election is looking much more like an election in developing world countriesand what really worries me about this is that the [Republican] base has been primed to not believe that the election is legitimate if Trump loses [Trump also] suggests that if the Democrats were to win, that this would be the end of life in the United States, he said.

In modern American history, there has never been a major mainstream political figure who has argued that his opponents are not legitimate, Klaas continued, adding that the high concentration of weapons among Donald Trumps supporters, plus the steady diet of information that tells them that they are the last defense for America against some conspiracy against them in most conservative media, is a toxic combination that could cause an unstable person to respond to a Trump loss by lashing out violently.

People who have really worked themselves up in this vortex of disinformation and have really gone down the rabbit hole may take Trump's tweets literally and say: OK, they're my enemies, they're committing treason, they're part of the Deep State, and its time to be a patriot and stand up against them, he said. That would be very, very dangerous.

Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, who won election to Congress as part of the Tea Party backlash to Barack Obamas presidency, said the current track of the Republican Party under Trump is the last gasp of a dying party that will become even more desperate if they lose control of the White House or Senate this fall.

They will engage in violence, they will engage in trying to stop the machinery of government from even working, said Walsh, who broke from the GOP to mount a brief, quixotic primary challenge to Trump last year.

I can see them in states and even in DC, not even participating walking out. A lot of it will depend on what Trump does, because I still think Trump's gonna be around, and he'll be calling a lot of shots, he added.

Daryl Johnson, a former Department of Homeland Security analyst who consults with law enforcement agencies on combatting far-right extremism and domestic terrorism, warned that there is already significant chatter about the election among right-wing extremist groups, which he said are flourishing under the Trump administration.

They're already talking about what they are gonna do if the Republicans don't win, he said. They've already accepted the narrative that it would be a false election, that it would be a result of fraud.

Johnson, who was pushed out of DHS after a 2009 report warning of a resurgence of recruitment and radicalization by right-wing extremist groups provoked outcry among Republicans, said the increasing number of Republicans in state and local politics who are sympathetic to extremist beliefs raises the probability of violent confrontations, particularly in places like the Pacific Northwest.

You've got people like [Washington State Delegate] Matt Shay advocating and working with people that were actually training white Christian males in the art of warfare and getting them kind of stoked for a violent confrontation with the left. And there's other delegates and congressmen that are sympathetic and supportive of these types of causes, he explained.

These extremists have crept into mainstream politics, and they're trying to say one thing, but they're doing another behind closed doors. It's something that's growing and is increasing in volatility, so the capability to inflict mass carnage already exists within these far-right groups.

Jonathan Lockwood, a veteran Republican operative who recently served as a spokesperson for Republicans in the Oregon Senate, said Johnsons concerns about the Pacific Northwest are valid.

In recent years, Oregon Senate Republicans have thrice fled the state to deny the Democratic-controlled legislature a quorum rather than allow the passage of legislation with majority support, forcing Governor Kate Brown a Democrat to use the state police to compel lawmakers attendance at the state capitol.

During one such walkout last June, Dallas, Oregon state senator Brian Boquist warned that police should send bachelors and come heavily armed because he would not be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon.

Lockwood, who broke with the GOP after the Trump administration used tear gas to suppress peaceful protesters in Washington last month, said the continued pattern of lockouts stems from defiant objections to being governed by Democrats, and posited that those same sentiments could result in a violent reaction from some corners of the right to a Biden win this November.

I think we should fear a violent uprising All it takes is for Trump to say one line or post one tweet, he said, adding that such an uprising could consist of occupying state capitols or even taking hostages to prevent state legislatures from certifying election results.

I think you could see takeovers of every [state] capitol, since the president seems to enjoy watching that from DC, and the country can descend into a chaos that we've never seen. People are gravely underestimating how pervasive these conspiracies and the de-legitimizing of Democrats governing truly are.

Originally posted here:
Trump supporters are already talking about what they might do if he doesn't win extremism experts are worried - The Independent

By 9pm that evening, merely an hour after the announcement which hadnt even come into effect yet, hourly installations spiked, with 300,000 to 400,000 people downloading the app every hour, according to Sumit Ghosh of Chingari, one of the several India-made apps vying to be a TikTok alternative. Within days, daily active users tripled on Roposo, another Indian short-video app.

With roughly 200 million Indians waiting to be snapped up, a mad dash has ensued to build a viable Indian social network from the ground up. While the Indian governments ban targets a slew of appsfrom browsers to file-sharing platformsonly a few segments have any real Indian" alternatives. E-commerce platforms like Shein and Club Factory were also banned, but Flipkart and Myntra, which are the supposed Indian options, already have mature user bases.

The race for indigenization" has thus essentially fallen on the shoulders of social media firms, particularly short-video apps. The prize: the eyeballs of erstwhile users from Bharat" who were on the banned Chinese apps, which together had nearly one-fourth the total number of users currently on Facebook, the worlds largest social platform.

Chingaris Ghosh said he wants to reach 100 million users in three months, which is the same target that Shivank Agarwal, founder of Mitron, another short-video app, has set for himself. For comparison, it took ByteDance 200 days to develop Duyin (TikToks Chinese variant) and about a year to reach 100 million users.

The tearing hurry within the Indian app ecosystem is fuelled by uncertainty over how long the ban on TikTok may last. Business plans are being crafted with the assumption that it will last at least 90 days. And this brief period may be the only window of opportunity. In the social media space, its nearly impossible to topple a platform that has made it big. TikTok didnt topple either Facebook or Instagram. It merely created a new niche for itself by introducing short-videos.

Its a phenomenal and unprecedented opportunity for startups to build something that is world-class, with content and experiences designed keeping Indian users in mind," said Arun Tadanki, lead of LetsVenture, a Bengaluru-based technology platform that connects angel investors with startups.

The pace at which an app like Mitron is progressing right now, at the end of three or six months, theyll probably have 100-200 million users. And then, its a completely different game even if those (banned) apps are allowed to come back," he added.

For now, even investors want to get a piece of the action. Mitron raised 2 crore in a seed round from Tadanki and 3One4 Capital. Tadanki said the deal was one of the fastest in his career. Chingari, on the other hand, is raising funds too and plans to go for a Series A round of investment, skipping the seed round altogether.

The Indian government waded in late last week with its own app innovation challenge, which seeks to incubate home-grown apps in key sectors. But this short burst of excitement will soon have to grapple with some real challenges. Building a social network requires deep pockets, a large innovative workforce, and a market where digital advertising revenue is substantial, among other factors. Even tech giants like Google have tried and failed many times.

Merely cloning the TikTok experience will not work, says technology and policy consultant Prasanto K. Roy. Source code for lookalikes of popular apps like Zoom are available on various websites and can be bought for as little as $25. But that isnt enough," he said. Essentially, this vacuum in the market is an opportunity, but its an opportunity for very few players," he added.

Selling Indian-ness

Facebooks key innovation was the news feed. TikToks short-video was unique in both format and audience, targeting the next billion" internet users. Indian social media apps, meanwhile, are largely seen as clones" of existing platforms.

Chingaris Ghosh said hes going to replicate TikToks strategy, but instead of taking two years, he wants to do it in six months. Copying a platform doesnt have to be wrong, he said. Which is true, after all, Facebook, too, copied Snapchats Stories feature on Instagram and WhatsApp. Twitter has launched a similar feature called Fleets.

The Indian-ness of these platforms have to show in some way though, Ghosh said. Between Mitron and ad-tech firm InMobi-owned Roposo, the idea seems to be to create communities within the apps, which replicate how Indians watch television. Both platforms will have the usual user feed, which will show content from everywhere, but there will also be dedicated categorieslike food or healthwhich function like television channels with specific programming. Categories seems to be an important part of the short-term strategy of these two apps.

But while the apps themselves experiment in a hurry, users remain largely sceptical. Well-known TikTok influencer Ajay Barman said he downloaded and deleted Chingari, Mitron and Roposo simply because he didnt like the user experience and the categories feature. Barman said he found that his videos didnt get views as fast as they did on TikTok.

The fact that these platforms are based in India and keep data in India may also make little difference to the user. Data residency is often equated with data privacy and security, but the two are unrelated, said Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder and CEO of Greyhound Research. Data localization only allows the government to regulate the data. It doesnt offer any additional benefits from a privacy or security point of view at all," he said.

Watershed moment

Where we lack as Indian entrepreneurs is in growth hacking, blitz scaling and creating network effects, which is very important for social media," said Jayanth Kolla, founder of Convergence Catalyst, a global research and advisory firm. Jio did a great job in distributing SIM cards, but hasnt yet been able to make its apps a big success story. Hike has been present for ages but lost out to competition from WhatsApp. Barring ShareChat, communications platforms in India have mostly failed to make it big.

Whether it was planned that way or not, the government has given Indian apps a watershed moment. Tadanki pointed out that every app has a moment in its lifetime when it goes viral, and this is that moment for Indian short-video platforms.

Getting the downloads organically, as they are right now, saves them a lot of money, but this is only the beginning. If TikTok returns tomorrow and these apps havent been able to convert the downloads into daily active users (DAUs) or monthly active users (MAUs), it all amounts to nought, say industry experts.

Industry estimates predict 12-15% of total users usually become DAUs.

Nav Agrawal, who sold his short-video platform Clip to Sharechat last year, said TikTok had 70 million DAUs against a user base of over 200 million in India. The poster boy for Indian social media, ShareChat, is considered successful because when it had 150 million-odd users, it had over 60 million MAUs. An industry executive in the know of the social media app ecosystem here said that ShareChat has crossed 100 million MAUs, thanks to the current blitz.

Converting downloads to DAUs is a huge task, and it all starts with improving the user experience (UX). Barman isnt the only influencer who found the Indian apps lacking in terms of UX.

Chingaris Ghosh and Mitrons Agarwal both said theyre working on their UX right now. In fact, when Ghosh spoke to Mint on 3 July, he said the company has set a target of three weeks to completely revamp its UX with a very modern Silicon Valley look and feel".

With the funding spree these apps are getting, they all plan to hire engineers and build bigger teams. Chingari is a 20 person operation right now, whereas Mitron has only 10 people. ShareChat and Roposo, both of which have big investors behind them, have over 300 and 200 employees, respectively. The industry executive quoted above also said that ShareChat plans to go on a hiring spree soon.

However, whether the budding Indian apps will be able to quickly rustle up an innovative pool of talent is an open question. Convergence Catalysts Jayanth Kolla said India definitely has tech talent but it doesnt have talent available at scale. You can build a kick-ass 50-member company, not a 5,000-member company (in India)," he said.

Kolla isnt the only one whos unsure about the possibilities in front of indigenous social media firms. We think its a bit late in the day to be starting such applications all over again," said Greyhounds Gogia.

India just doesnt have the talent," he added. In fact, the countrys best talent is often working in the Valley and building the greatest products in the world. According to Gogia, we dont have the best talent in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), UX and more, all of which are essential to make world-class apps.

The other challenge is capital. Experts say big global venture capital (VC) firms will have to come in. Scaling a social media platform requires hundreds of millions of dollars and decades of experience in the space. Agrawal said that when he was building Clip, ByteDance was spending 30 times the money that his startup could spend and it was almost impossible to compete with.

App verticals like social media and video conferencing are very busy areas". One will have to take on billion-dollar companies like Microsoft, Zoom, Google, Cisco, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, ByteDance and more.

The executive mentioned above said a social network with a 100 million MAUs could rack up at least 5 crore a month purely on cloud storage costs. It doesnt work with investments in the order of a few million.

Gogia pointed out that the fact that big companies have larger and more mature user bases is a big bonus for them. It allows them to refine their product quickly. Trying to say you provide better services or more security than them is almost impossible. Any app, especially when launched only for a specific market or country, just wont work because you wont have the critical mass of users to learn from and improve the project," said Gogia.

The marathon ahead

In fact, even as Indian platforms started getting downloads due to the ban, a number of big influencers moved to Instagram. In effect, Chinas loss may ultimately be the US gain, not Indias. People are forgetting that Facebook remains the big daddy, and regardless of controversies, it remains a great platform for content sharing. I would not be surprised if Facebook tomorrow introduces more flexibility in terms of posting video content," said Shudeep Majumdar, co-founder of Zefmo, an influencer marketing firm. Instagram, which is a fully grown platform, is in fact rushing to release Reels feature, its TikTok clone, say reports.

Amid the chaotic events of the past week comes the Indian governments modest app innovation challenge, which was announced last week. According to Ramanan Ramanathan, mission director of the Atal Innovation Mission, the challenge isnt only good for the apps that win. The government wants to promote others who show promise, by introducing them to VCs and more. Its not just one winner that were trying to find. If there are quite a few who merit consideration and attention, were going to also plug them into our ecosystem to allow them to grow over time," he said.

At the end of the day, the ban on Chinese apps has given an impetus to Indian firms to take some time off from competing against billion-dollar companies purely on the strength of their bank balance alone. While there has been no real winner from India in the social media space, theres also never been a watershed moment like this. Analysts and experts have been repeatedly proven wrong when it comes to the realm of tech over the past decade. The next six months will be a sprint that could set them up for the marathon.

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Read more from the original source:
The race to build an Indian social network - Livemint