Top intelligence sources have told media that Chinese data cloud servers are sending data of Indian users to China, and that the Chinese technology giant Alibaba's equipment in India may be involved in this.

Officials speaking to News18 network have reportedly disclosed that 'all sensitive and ancillary forms of data' are sent to remote servers in China. Chinese firms are able to lure Indian organisations and customers by offering data servers at very low prices, and for this reason the Chinese offerings are quite popular among Indian businesses.

This disclosure by intelligence agencies to News18 network comes close on the heels of another major investigation that exposed Chinese's attempts to track and follow hundreds of Indian leaders and important officials using technology. Firms that were involved in such operations reportedly have deep links to the Chinese authorities or to the Chinese Communist Party.

Putting the number of servers involved in sending Indian user data to China at 72, intelligence officers have told media that a "massive probe" may soon get underway to further unravel Chinese cyber espionage plans in the country.

India has banned nearly 200 Chinese apps and games citing security concerns in the last two months. These bans were enacted in the aftermath of Chinese incursions in Eastern Ladakh region leading to clashes in Galwan.

The list of banned apps include very popular and widely used ones such as TikTok, UC Browser, ShareIt, CamScanner and the first person shooting game PUBG.