TikTok appoints Nikhil Gandhi as India head
As chief of TikTok in India, Nikhil Gandhi will focus on inspiring creativity and bringing joy to users of the short-form mobile video app, and prioritise key initiatives that benefit the community.
Chinese firm ByteDance-owned short-form mobile video app TikTok on Friday announced the appointment of Nikhil Gandhi as its India head. Based out of Mumbai, he will lead the development of TikTok's products and operations in the country.
Since late 2017, TikTok has been investing in product, building a team, and enabling community growth in India. In his new role, Nikhil will focus on inspiring creativity and bringing joy to TikTok's users, while also working to have a broader positive impact in the country. As India TikTok head, Nikhil will prioritise key initiatives, such as #EduTok, that benefit the community.
Commenting on his appointment, Nikhil Gandhi said,
“I am excited to be part of TikTok’s journey in India at a time when it is strengthening its overall presence in the country and building a platform that enables creative expression. I am looking forward to working with the team to build a platform that adds value to India’s growing digital community, every day.”
In a career spanning over 20 years, Nikhil has held leadership positions at leading media and entertainment companies. Most recently, Nikhil was spearheading the business growth at Times Global Broadcasting as President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to Times Network, Nikhil was at The Walt Disney Company for nine years. Adding to his experience are his stints at UTV Global Broadcasting and Viacom Media Networks.
TikTok has global offices, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. The app, which entered the market in late 2017, has over 200 million users in India.
In September, California-based Loop Now Technologies also launched a short video platform Firework in India to cater to premium content creators and users. The app is available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and claims to have recorded more than one million installs on the Play Store with a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)