How Indian Moj Influencers Are Finding Brand Deals in China

In the past few years, India has witnessed the emergence of a unique genre of influencers on short video platforms like Moj, Tiki, and others.

These influencers are not just gaining popularity in India, but are also expanding their reach to countries like China, which many would think is impossible to penetrate.

Moj influencers are thriving in China.

☑️ What is Moj?

Moj is an Indian short video creation platform owned by the Times Group, which also owns the famous Times of India newspaper.

Launched in 2020, Moj allows users to create and share 15-30 second videos across various genres like comedy, dance, education, and more.

Following the ban of TikTok in India in 2020, Moj became one of its main competitors, and as of August 2023, Moj had over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store and over 100 million monthly active users.

💃🏽 How are Moj influencers penetrating the Chinese market?

A few weeks ago, I came across a video on the popular Chinese social media platform Douyin, which is the Chinese version of TikTok, featuring an Indian man apparently dancing to a popular Chinese song.

The video seemed to have been made in India and was captioned in English.

Intrigued by the video, I opened the profile of the uploader to find out that he was an Indian Moj influencer named Rishi Raj.

Rishi’s profile had a total of 62 videos, nearly all of which had garnered millions of views.

Rishi’s Douyin account has over 33,000 followers, which is a remarkable feat considering the platform does not cater to Indian users.

Rishi Raj is not the only Moj influencer conquering China.

Earlier in July, a group of Indian Moj influencers were invited to China to showcase their Moj videos and how they are taking over Douyin.

The group was headed by the aforementioned Rishi Raj.

According to reports, the group was invited by a Chinese company called Hubei Erli Technology Co. Ltd.

The company focuses on brand promotion and influencer marketing and seems to be working with Indian influencers who are gaining popularity in China.

The group of influencers who went to China included Rishi Raj, Mohd Asim, Varsha1529, and Mohd Arman.

In Rishi Raj’s post after returning from China, he thanked the company and said that a total of 24 influencers had been invited.

He also said that the group was welcomed warmly in China and was treated like royalty.

In his capacity as the leader of the group, Rishi also presented a souvenir given to him by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Ma Jun, the CEO of Hubei Erli Technology Co. Ltd.

The souvenir was a souvenir plate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

In his post, Rishi said, “In this souvenir plate, the logo of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is there, as well as the three famous places of China. It is a great honor for us to have received this souvenir plate.”

📈 Are there more Indian influencers going to China?

There are countless other Moj influencers who are penetrating the Chinese market one like Rishi Raj at a time.

Rishi Raj and the other influencers were not just well-received, but also had successful meetings with companies who wanted to collaborate with them.

According to reports, at least 10 companies invited the influencers over to discuss brand deals.

The influencers were not just treated like royalty, but were also paid handsome amounts for the deals.

Rishi Raj, who according to reports is paid ₹12,000 for a single Moj video, was paid ₹50,000 for a single Douyin video in China.

Another influencer known as Mohd Asim was paid a whopping ₹8 lakhs for a single Douyin video.

Asim’s regular earnings from a single Moj video is ₹15,000.

Other than Douyin, the influencers are also promoting brands on popular Chinese e-commerce platforms like Alibaba and Taobao.

🎯 How are Indian influencers getting brand deals in China?

Many Indian influencers like Rishi Raj and Mohd Asim have been able to penetrate the Chinese market thanks to Hubei Erli Technology Co. Ltd.

However, they are not the only players in the field.

There are several companies operating in China who are looking for Indian influencers to market their brands and products.

As per an article on India Today, popular Chinese companies like Taobao and Alibaba are actively looking for Indian influencers to promote their products through short videos.

Wang Yu, who is the head of the India team at Hubei Erli Technology Co. Ltd, said that there are a number of Indian influencers who are finding success in China.

When queried about why Chinese companies are seeking Indian influencers, Wang said that there is a huge demand for Indian products in China, particularly home decor, fitness, cosmetics, and fashion items.

He said, “After Covid, the Chinese market started to open up and Chinese people are now keen to know more about the Indian culture. Indian products are gaining popularity in China and it is important that we tell the people about these products and how to use them.”

The popularity of Indian influencers is not just restricted to China.

According to Wang, many Indian influencers are also gaining popularity in other countries like South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

❗ Are there dangers in working with Chinese brands?

Although the popularity of Indian Moj influencers in China is commendable and they are making a fortune out of it, there are also dangers involved when working with Chinese brands.

Many companies in China are known to engage in dubious practices when working with foreign brands.

There have been multiple reports of Chinese companies duping brands and influencers in the past.

It is crucial to ensure that you are working with a legitimate brand and not some shady dealer.

Many companies promise influencer partnerships and brand deals but do not compensate the influencer later.

Traveling abroad under the pretense of a brand deal only to return empty-handed is one of the oldest tricks in the influencer marketing playbook.

If you are an influencer looking to work with a Chinese brand, ensure that you conduct thorough research before proceeding.

📢 Conclusion

It is crazy to think that an Indian short video app is helping Indian influencers gain popularity in China.

The reports of Indian Moj influencers penetrating China and working with Chinese brands on a large scale is a testament to the fact that borders and barriers do not matter anymore in the world of influencer marketing.

It is a global village now.

With the rise of international influencers, the world is coming together and new partnerships are being forged.

Expect the unexpected because it is time to think outside the box.

BaoLiba will continue to update Indian influencer marketing trends, so please follow us!