Indian creators start posting on China's Bilibili platform

Indian digital creators have begun posting on Bilibili, often called China's YouTube, even though the platform has not launched in India. Its international service covers Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Jharkhand vlogger Nawnit Kumar Tiwari said he crossed 700 followers in about 15 days. The trend precedes tougher YouTube monetisation thresholds from February 1, 2027. Bilibili, YouTube and the IT ministry did not respond to queries.

Written by AI from Economic Times — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 20 Sept 2026, 6:43 am IST

Source

Economic Times — Top · read the original report ↗

#bilibili#creator economy#youtube#india-china#social media

Desk check · compared with the source

What the desk checked (5)

Indian creators have begun posting on Bilibili though the platform has not launched in India — Reported by the source, supported by a named creator's account; Bilibili gave no response.
Nawnit Kumar Tiwari crossed 700 followers and thousands of views in about 15 days — Self-reported figure quoted directly by the named creator; not independently verified.
From February 1, 2027, new YouTube monetisation applicants will need 1,000 subscribers and 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views — Specific figures and date appear in the source; no direct YouTube confirmation, as queries went unanswered.
Bilibili's international service covers Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia; India is not listed — Attributed to company statements referenced in the source.
TikTok ban in India remains in place since June 2020 — Stated as background fact in the source; internally consistent.

Written by AI from Economic Times — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · How we use AI · Report an error

Analysts’ view opinion

AI Technology Analyst

This is less a story about a new app and more about rising platform risk in the creator economy. With YouTube doubling its monetisation thresholds from February 1, 2027 — 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views — smaller Indian creators are hedging early, even on a platform that has not launched in India. But the fact that access needs location changes, APKs and VPNs shows this is still experimentation, not migration.

Tougher YouTube eligibility bars create a gap at the entry level that emerging platforms can try to fill with fresh audiences and new monetisation routes.
A Jharkhand vlogger crossing 700 followers in about 15 days reflects early first-mover visibility, not proven earnings.
Dependence on VPNs, location tweaks and APK installs signals there is no scalable distribution path yet, and the story notes Indian banking integration is still in process.
Industry voices in the story expect Bilibili to function as a complementary platform rather than a replacement, given the advertiser networks and years-old audiences on YouTube and Instagram.
Bilibili's niche strengths — anime, gaming, tech and learning communities — plus regional-language search, subtitles and dubbing could be its route beyond metro markets.

What to watch — Watch whether India appears on Bilibili's list of international markets, and the timing of its iOS rollout, payment linkage and monetisation features — alongside any shift in the government's stance.

The story does not establish that Bilibili will enter India, that Indian creators are actually earning there, or that this is anything more than a handful of early adopters — Bilibili, YouTube and the IT ministry did not respond.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 6 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Bilibili, a Chinese video network launched in 2009 as an anime, comics and gaming community, has evolved into a platform for user-generated and professional video, often described as China's YouTube. It has not launched in India, and its international service currently covers Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Despite this, smaller Indian creators have begun posting on it using location settings, APKs, browsers and VPNs, at a time when India-China ties are thawing and YouTube is preparing to double its monetisation thresholds from February 1, 2027.

Key facts

Bilibili began in 2009 as an anime, comics and gaming community and has since become a video network with user-generated and professional content.
Bilibili's international service currently covers Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia; India is not listed among its international markets.
Last month the company said it had launched its international app on Android, with an iOS version coming soon and more countries to follow.
Jharkhand-based travel vlogger Nawnit Kumar Tiwari said he started on Bilibili about 15 days ago and crossed 700 followers with thousands of views.
Tiwari's channel Ghumakkad Nawnit has 21,000 followers on Facebook, 14,500 on Instagram and 6,500 subscribers on YouTube after a year of posting.
From February 1, 2027, new applicants for YouTube's full ads and Premium revenue programme will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified public watch hours in the previous 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days - double current thresholds.
Tiwari changed his phone's location setting to Singapore to access Bilibili; other creators are using browsers, location settings, Android Package Kits (APKs) and VPNs.
India's ban on the Chinese platform TikTok has been in place since June 2020; linking the Indian banking system to Bilibili is still in process.

Timeline

2009Bilibili starts as an anime, comics and gaming community in China.
June 2020India bans TikTok; the ban remains in place.
Last month (as per source)Bilibili says it has launched its international app on Android, with iOS to follow and more countries planned.
Last week (as per source)PM Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit and call for greater business linkages and mobility.
About 15 days before publicationJharkhand vlogger Nawnit Kumar Tiwari begins posting on Bilibili and crosses 700 followers.
February 1, 2027Tougher YouTube monetisation thresholds take effect for new applicants to its full ads and Premium revenue programme.

Who has a stake

Small and emerging Indian creators — Seeking early-mover audience and revenue on a new platform as YouTube monetisation entry becomes harder from February 1, 2027.
Bilibili — Potential expansion into India, where it is not yet launched; monetisation and Indian banking linkage still being rolled out.
YouTube and Instagram — Established creator communities, audience bases and advertiser networks that a new entrant must compete with.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology — Regulatory gatekeeper for Chinese apps in India; did not respond to queries.
Nawnit Kumar Tiwari (Ghumakkad Nawnit) — Jharkhand travel creator testing Bilibili; 700+ followers there versus 21,000 on Facebook, 14,500 on Instagram, 6,500 on YouTube.
Experts - Varaprasad S Dolla (JNU), Rajesh Sethi (PwC India), Raj Mishra (Chtrbox) — Assessing whether diplomatic thaw and platform features can give Bilibili a real foothold in India.

Why it matters

India's creator economy is at an inflection point: YouTube will double monetisation entry thresholds from February 1, 2027, pushing newer creators to look for alternative platforms and audiences. That search is now pulling them towards a Chinese platform that is not officially available in India, raising questions about regulation, data and app access at a moment of tentative India-China normalisation. How the government and creators respond will shape whether Chinese platforms find a second opening in India after the TikTok ban of June 2020.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Bilibili: Chinese video platform founded in 2009 as an anime, comics and gaming (ACG) community; called 'China's YouTube'.
Bilibili international markets: Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia - India not included.
New YouTube monetisation norms from February 1, 2027: 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days.
TikTok has been banned in India since June 2020.
Modi-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, calling for greater business linkages and mobility.
APK and VPN are the workarounds cited for accessing apps unavailable in a user's country.

Mains framing

The migration of Indian creators to Bilibili, a platform not launched in India, illustrates how platform economics and geopolitics intersect in the digital content economy. The trigger is structural: from February 1, 2027 new applicants to YouTube's full ads and Premium revenue programme must clear 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days - double existing thresholds - squeezing small creators and creating demand for alternative monetisation routes. Simultaneously, the thaw in India-China relations, signalled by the Modi-Xi meeting at the BRICS Summit, raises the possibility of some opening for Chinese apps, even as the TikTok ban from June 2020 persists and Bilibili's Indian banking linkage remains incomplete. Experts caution that Bilibili's audience remains largely Chinese and that it is more likely to be complementary than a substitute for YouTube and Instagram, where creators have spent years building followings and advertisers are already present; its realistic opening lies in young audiences for anime, gaming, technology and learning content, plus regional-language search, subtitles, dubbing and creator programmes. The way forward involves clarity from MeitY on app availability and data norms, diversified and fairer monetisation for small creators, and caution against workarounds like VPNs and APKs that operate in a regulatory grey zone.

Key terms

Bilibili: Chinese video-sharing network started in 2009 around anime, comics and gaming, now hosting user-generated and professional content.
Monetisation threshold: Minimum subscribers, watch hours or views a creator must reach to qualify for a platform's ad and subscription revenue programme.
YouTube Shorts qualified views: Counted short-video views used for eligibility; 20 million in 90 days is one new YouTube route from February 1, 2027.
APK (Android Package Kit): Installable Android app file, often used to sideload apps not available in a user's country app store.
VPN (Virtual Private Network): Service that routes internet traffic through another location, letting users access geo-restricted apps or content.
MeitY: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India's nodal ministry for apps, platforms and digital regulation.

Practice questions

Tougher monetisation thresholds on dominant platforms can push creators towards new and even unavailable platforms. Discuss with reference to India's creator economy and the entry of Bilibili.
Examine the regulatory and national-security questions raised when Indian users access foreign apps not launched in India through VPNs and APKs.
How might the normalisation of India-China relations affect India's policy on Chinese digital platforms, given the TikTok ban of June 2020?

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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