(Yicai Global) April 16 -- India's  Supreme Court is yet to decide whether TikTok should be removed from the  country's app stores, the Economic Observer reported a representative  of the Chinese short-video app as saying. 

The Economic Times of India reported on  April 3 that the Madras High Court had passed an order from the  information technology ministry to ban the app in the country as it  degraded the culture among the younger generations. 

The courthouse is yet to make a final decision, the person responsible for TikTok's Indian business told the Economic Observer.

TikTok filed a petition with the Supreme  Court last week, saying it could not be held liable for users' content.  TikTok is like any other social media platform and the ban on TikTok  alone is discriminatory and arbitrary, the document stated.

The case will be heard at Madras High  Court and then at the Supreme Court on April 22, the company  representative said, adding that TikTok has confidence in India's  judicial system and the IT regulations on social media platforms.

India is a key market for TikTok's global  expansion. The app along with its Chinese version Douyin gained 188  million new users in the first quarter this year, according to data from  app store analytics firm Sensor Tower. India was the main driving force  of the rapid growth. The number of Indian users increased over  eight-fold annually in the first three months to reach 88.6 million.

Editor: William Clegg