PM Narendra Modi's entry puts Truth Social on India's digital map

Prime Minister's presence catapults Trump-backed platform from rank 375 to 13 in a week

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi joining social networking site Truth Social this Monday, sharing a picture of himself with US President Donald Trump on stage in 2019, the app’s popularity has surged in India, with downloads hitting new highs in the country.

 

Truth Social is owned by Trump Media & Technology Group and has been used by the American president as a powerful tool to make key announcements and share his views with the world. The platform was launched by Trump in 2022, a year after he was banned from major social media sites like Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Alphabet’s YouTube.

 

In India, based on Sensor Tower data from the Apple Store, Truth Social climbed from being ranked 375th on March 10 in the list of most downloaded social networking apps to 25th on March 17 and 13th on March 18. Modi said he was “delighted” to be on the platform, “engaging in meaningful conversations”.

 

A similar jump in downloads was observed when Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal flew to the US to begin talks on a proposed bilateral trade agreement between the two countries on March 3. According to Sensor Tower, Truth Social's download rank on the Apple Store went from 341 on February 28 to 40 on March 3 and 61 on March 4.

 

On Google Play Store, Truth Social also saw a significant climb among social apps two days after Modi’s announcement. On March 19, its ranking among the most downloaded apps rose by 52 spots, from 144 on March 18 to 92 on March 19 and March 20, according to Sensor Tower data. 

 

There was also some buzz when Goyal visited the US, with the app’s ranking rising to 277 on March 6 before falling sharply, only to recover following Modi’s announcement.

 

In other countries affected by US tariffs, the app’s performance has been mixed. In Canada, Truth Social maintained a consistent download rank of 16 throughout March on Google Play Store, and fluctuated between 12th and 16th place on Apple Store between March 6 and March 20. In Mexico, the app showed limited traction, peaking at 111 in March and dropping 289 on March 19.

 

In the US, the app is performing reasonably well, with rankings between 20 and 25 throughout March, though it remains well below Elon Musk’s X and Facebook's Threads, which continue to lead in downloads. On iPhones, Truth Social’s ranking ranged between 12 and 25 from February 25 to March 20.