Government bans 118 Chinese apps including PUBG
The Ministry of Information & Technology, in its official statement, said that the move is to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace

Ministry of Information & Technology has banned a total of 118 mobile applications, including battle royale game PUBG. The government has invoked its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology Rules 2009 to block these apps, due to "the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 118 mobile apps since in view of the information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of state and public order."
Ministry of Information & Technology bans PUBG and 118 other mobile applications pic.twitter.com/3bnFiaY9VW
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2020
The apps have been blocked on the grounds of security and privacy issues.
Government blocks 118 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, Defence of India, Security of State and Public Order: Govt of India https://t.co/oLcI68vu56
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2020
Here's the ministry's official statement:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps.. Likewise,
there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the
public space to take strict action against Apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens.
On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices of above stated Apps raise serious concerns that these Apps collect and share data in surreptitious manner and compromise personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to security of the State.
In the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of the State. And using the sovereign powers, the Government of India has decided to
block the usage of certain Apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices.
In June, the Ministry of Information & Technology had banned a total of 59 apps, including TikTok, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act and in view of the emergent nature of threats. Again in July, the GOI had banned 47 Chinese app 'clones', which included Tiktok Lite, Helo Lite, SHAREit Lite, BIGO LIVE Lite and VFY Lite, which were "clones" or lighter versions of the banned ones. The government said in view of information available, they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.
"This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace," said the Ministry in its official release.
Here's the entire list of banned apps:
1. APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart
2. APUS Launcher -Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps
3. APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner
4. APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus
5. APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright
6. Cut Cut – Cut Out & Photo Background Editor
7. Baidu
8. Baidu Express Edition
9. FaceU - Inspire your Beauty
10. ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals
11. CamCard - Business Card Reader
12. CamCard Business
13. CamCard for Salesforce
14. CamOCR
15. InNote
16. VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing
17. Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster
18. WeChat reading
19. Government WeChat
20. Small Q brush
21. Tencent Weiyun
22. Pitu
23. WeChat Work
24. Cyber Hunter
25. Cyber Hunter Lite
26. Knives Out-No rules, just fight!
27. Super Mecha Champions
28. LifeAfter
29. Dawn of Isles
30. Ludo World-Ludo Superstar
31. Chess Rush
32. PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik
33. PUBG MOBILE LITE
34. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade
35. Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon
36. Dank Tanks
37. Warpath
38. Game of Sultans
39. Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos
40. Smart AppLock (App Protect)
41. Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team
42. Hide App-Hide Application Icon
43. AppLock
44. AppLock Lite
45. Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner
46. ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online
47. ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app
48. Music - Mp3 Player
49. Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
50. HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera
51. Cleaner - Phone Booster
52. Web Browser & Fast Explorer
53. Video Player All Format for Android
54. Photo Gallery HD & Editor
55. Photo Gallery & Album
56. Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download
57. HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama
58. HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera
59. Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
60. Gallery HD
61. Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer
62. Web Browser - Secure Explorer
63. Music player - Audio Player
64. Video Player - All Format HD Video Player
65. Lamour Love All Over The World
66. Amour- video chat & call all over the world.
67. MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community
68. MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor
69. APUS Message Center-Intelligent management
70. LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers
71. Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-
72. Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games
73. Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games
74. Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game
75. Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage
76. GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji
77. U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate
78. Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style
79. Tantan - Date For Real
80. MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen
81. Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat
82. Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles
83. Alipay
84. AlipayHK
85. Mobile Taobao
86. Youku
87. Road of Kings- Endless Glory
88. Sina News
89. Netease News
90. Penguin FM
91. Murderous Pursuits
92. Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology
93. Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese
94. HUYA LIVE – Game Live Stream
95. Little Q Album
96. Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords
97. Hi Meitu
98. Mobile Legends: Pocket
99. VPN for TikTok
100. VPN for TikTok
101. Penguin E-sports Live assistant
102. Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices
103. iPick
104. Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie
105. Parallel Space Lite - Dual App
106. "Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC
107. MARVEL Super War NetEase Games
108. AFK Arena
109. Creative Destruction NetEase Games
110. Crusaders of Light NetEase Games
111. Mafia City Yotta Games
112. Onmyoji NetEase Games
113. Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games
114. Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded
115. Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games
116. Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games
117. Soul Hunters
118. Rules of Survival
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Gaurav Burman of Dabur acquires 7.5% stake in mental health start-up Mitsu
The company also has as angel investors successful entrepreneurs including Shivashish Chatterjee and Yuvraj Singh and Harpreet Singh Grover
By e4m Desk | Sep 12, 2023 3:39 PM | 2 min read
Gaurav Burman, a member of the Burman family and Director of Dabur International, has acquired a strategic 7.5% stake in healthcare start-up Mitsu. Mitsu is a mental health tech start-up offering a convenient and scientific self-therapy program that helps individuals who feel anxious or depressed build skills for lifelong emotional well-being.
"I am delighted to be a part of this healthcare revolution called Mitsu. Mental Health is an extremely important issue and affects most of us at some stage in our lives. Mitsu has developed a science-based approach to helping those who feel anxious or depressed in a novel, confidential, and affordable manner. I have been a firm believer in Mitsu from the very beginning, as early as its concept stage. This investment is part of my mission to invest in companies that are shaping the future of healthcare through innovative and people-centered solutions. I am confident that Mitsu will continue to take this fast-growing business to even greater heights,” said Gaurav Burman, who has now joined the board of Mitsu.
The company also has as angel investors successful entrepreneurs including Shivashish Chatterjee and Yuvraj Singh (founders of DMI Finance) and Harpreet Singh Grover (who founded and exited CoCubes).
“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Gaurav Burman as an investor in Mitsu. His support and guidance will help us move ahead with our strategy to create an accessible, convenient, and scalable solution for mental healthcare that can benefit over 40% of the adult population,” said Mitsu founder Mr. Amit Singh.
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Reliance Retail acquires 51% stake in Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma brand
The partnership will see the brand grow into new areas like personal care and baby furniture
By e4m Desk | Sep 6, 2023 7:06 PM | 2 min read
Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) signs a joint venture with Alia Bhatt’s conscious clothing brand of kids and maternity-wear, Ed-a-Mamma for a 51% majority stake.
“RRVL aims to take the brand on a dynamic growth trajectory by closely collaborating with founder Alia Bhatt and leveraging the management strength of its subsidiary Reliance Brands Limited to spearhead the business. This partnership also marks a significant step forward in promoting sustainable fashion for the younger generation,” stated a press release.
Ed-a-Mamma was founded by Alia Bhatt in 2020 as an apparel brand for 2–12-year olds. In a significant stride last year, the brand expanded its range to include maternity-wear which was thoughtfully timed to coincide with Alia Bhatt’s pregnancy which was soon followed-up with a line for infants and toddlers - further demonstrating the brand's versatility.
“At Reliance, we have always admired brands that lead with a strong purpose and embody a unique design ethos exemplified perfectly by Ed-a-Mamma and its founder Alia Bhatt. With sustainability as its core proposition the brand has garnered acclaim for its meticulous attention to detail, using ethically sourced materials and eco-conscious production processes. This aligns seamlessly with Reliance Brands' vision of fostering a more responsible future for the fashion industry,” said Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited.
“Alia’s daughter and my twins are two weeks apart and we pretty much went through our pregnancies at the same time coincidentally wearing Ed-a-Mamma maternity, and now dressing our children in Ed-a-Mamma kidswear, which they love! So, this is special – The product, brand and the partnership are especially close to my heart,” added Isha Ambani on a personal note.
Speaking about the joint venture, Alia Bhatt said, “Isha and I found a wavelength as two new moms discussing what mothers want. I told her what we were already doing at Ed-a-Mamma and how there’s scope to do so much more. She said Reliance can bring strengths in everything from supply chain to retail to marketing. With this joint venture, we look forward to taking Ed-a-Mamma to many more kids and parents and continuing to inspire a love for nature through everything we do.”
The partnership will see the brand grow into new areas like personal care and baby furniture while retaining its core values of being child-friendly, parent-friendly, and planet-friendly. Also on the anvil is children's story books and an animated series that will breathe life into the enchanting world of Ed-a-Mamma, the release stated.
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Tata in talks to acquire 51% stake in Haldiram’s: Report
If the deal is successfully concluded, it would see the Indian conglomerate directly compete with Pepsi and billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail
By e4m Desk | Sep 6, 2023 3:54 PM | 2 min read
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Bloomberg expands India-centric offerings
The new content includes a newsletter authored and curated by Bloomberg senior editor Menaka Doshi
By e4m Desk | Sep 5, 2023 4:11 PM | 2 min read
Bloomberg News is expanding its India-centric offerings spanning digital platforms and Bloomberg TV, it was announced today.
The new content includes a newsletter authored and curated by Bloomberg senior editor Menaka Doshi, who has more than 27 years of experience reporting on Indian business and markets.
Bloomberg’s enhanced India coverage across platforms includes:
- India Edition with Menaka Doshi: Launched on August 31, this weekly newsletter is an insider's guide to India as an emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise. Leveraging the unique insights of Bloomberg journalist Menaka Doshi, this newsletter will help readers make sense of the robust India growth story, from within. It will offer the best of Bloomberg's exclusive reporting on India.
- In-depth G-20 coverage: With the world’s attention turning to India as it hosts the B20 and G20 Summits, Bloomberg TV will launch a four-part video series ‘Is This India's Moment?’ and broadcast special TV programming around the G20, hosted by Menaka Doshi and Chief International Correspondent for Southeast Asia, Haslinda Amin. A special team of Bloomberg reporters will cover the high-level summit through exclusive stories and a live, rolling blog throughout the first week of September.
- India Focus TV Segment: Airing every day at 9:10 AM IST globally, the ongoing India Focus segment on Bloomberg TV features business interviews with influential Indian newsmakers.
- New Voices India: Since 2018, Bloomberg has sponsored intensive media training workshops, individualized for women and diverse executives in business and finance in 15 global cities and counting. A new cohort for India will be launched this October.
- Enhanced financial markets coverage: Bloomberg News continues to deepen its analysis of Indian asset markets. New and upcoming offerings on the Terminal include Non-Deliverable Forwards/Options Insights, a Weekly Cross-Asset Newsletter and a Weekly Derivatives Newsletter that harness the power of data and analytics.
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Who will be IMPACT Person of the Year, 2022?
The award recognises and celebrates excellence in the advertising, media and marketing ecosystem
By e4m Desk | Sep 4, 2023 5:21 PM | 3 min read
The much-awaited list of nominees for the IMPACT Person of the Year (IPOY) award for 2022 is finally out! Like every year, this year too, we have a stellar list of nominees for IPOY. The marketing and advertising world is keen to know who will be the IMPACT Person of the Year, 2022. The game-changers who made it to the nominees for the 18th edition this year include Aman Gupta, Co-founder & CMO, boAt; Darpan Sanghvi Founder & CEO, Good Glamm Company; Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder & CIO, Mamaearth and Varun Alagh Co-founder & CEO, Mamaearth; Harsh Jain, Co-founder and Culture Enforcement Officer, Dream 11; Harsh Mariwala, Founder & Chairman, Marico; Mohit Burman, Chairman, Dabur India Ltd; N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons.
The other great minds who have made to the nomination list of the prestigious award are Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd; Peyush Bansal, Co-founder and CEO, Lenskart; RS Agarwal, Co-founder & Chairman Emeritus, Emami Limited; RS Goenka, Co-founder & Non-Executive Chairman, Emami Limited; Sanket Ray, President, India & Southwest Asia, The Coca-Cola Company; Vineeta Singh & Kaushik Mukherjee, Co-founders, Sugar Cosmetics.
The nomination list exemplifies the spirit of the ‘IMPACT Person of the Year’ award by pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and making a lasting impact in the industry. The nominees’ contributions serve as an inspiration and a testament to the power of dedication, innovation and creativity.
IPOY is presented to one or more individuals who have made an impact in the advertising, media and marketing sphere and influenced the industry with their significant contribution. IPOY, the exchange4media Group’s flagship property, recognizes and celebrates the best minds who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities and outstanding contributions to the industry during their career. The person/s should have made a substantial contribution to his/her own business as well as industry bodies and the practice adopted by him/her should have had far-reaching effects in the foreseeable future.
The past winners include Sanjiv Mehta, then CEO and MD of HUL (2021), Sanjiv Puri, Chairman & MD of ITC Ltd (2020), Byju Raveendran, Founder & CEO, Byju’s (2019); Rajan Anandan, then MD, Google India (2018); Baba Ramdev of Patanjali Ayurved (2017); Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO of Paytm (2016), Arnab Goswami, former President & Editor-in-Chief, Times Now and ET Now (2015), Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (2014); Vineet Jain, MD, Times Group (2013); Ambika Soni, then Minister for Information & Broadcasting (2012), amongst others.
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Brand Aid wins creative mandate of Colors Gujarati
The operations will be handled by Brand Aid’s Ahmedabad office
By e4m Desk | Sep 4, 2023 12:07 PM | 1 min read
Colors Gujarati has awarded its creative mandate to Brand Aid. The operations will be handled by Brand Aid’s Ahmedabad office.
Colors Gujarati has been steadily gaining popularity, captivating both rural and urban audiences with its engaging content. Hiten Shah, Director of Brand Aid Pvt. Ltd., shared his excitement about working with Colors Gujarati, saying, “Being affiliated with Colors Gujarati is an esteemed opportunity. Engaging in projects that endorse entertainment, art, and creativity would be a truly exhilarating experience for the entire team.”
This partnership between Colors Gujarati and Brand Aid is poised to bring forth innovative and compelling creative solutions, further enhancing Colors Gujarati's position as a leading entertainment channel.
Brand Aid is a creative agency based in Ahmedabad, specialising in comprehensive branding and communication services. With a 25-year legacy, it has earned a reputation for delivering innovative and strategic creative solutions across diverse industries.
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Rupa and Company’s Digital Marketing Head Riki Chakraborty no more
Chakraborty passed away in a car crash in Kolkata
By e4m Desk | Aug 31, 2023 5:03 PM | 1 min read
Riki Chakraborty, Head of Digital Marketing at Rupa and Company Ltd, has died in a car crash in Kolkata. Sources close to the development confirmed the tragic news to e4m. He was 36.
Chakraborty was associated with Rupa and Company ltd for close to eight years. Prior to that, he worked with Google India as Central Media Manager.
He had also served stints at Accenture and HT Media Ltd in the past.
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