EaseMyTrip's co-founder, Nishant Pitti, on Friday once again criticised competitor MakeMyTrip for its alleged Chinese ties. Indian Armed Forces personnel booking tickets on the latter's platform is a security concern, according to Pitti.
Earlier, on 14 May, Pitti took to his X account and wrote, "Indian Armed Forces book discounted tickets via a platform majorly owned by China, entering Defence ID, route & date. Our enemies know where our soldiers are flying."
MakeMyTrip, on Thursday, clarified that it is an Indian company, complying with all applicable laws and data privacy frameworks of the country, PTI reported.
Citing a MakeMyTrip spokesperson, the report added, "We don't comment on malicious or motivated accusations and remain focused on offering our best services to our customers as a responsible Indian corporate." The spokesperson added that MakeMyTrip was a proud Indian company, founded by Indians, headquartered in India, and trusted by millions of Indian travellers for over 25 years.
Commenting on the issue of Chinese ownership, the spokesperson said, "We are a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq, with a diverse shareholder base spanning the globe."
Following the response from MakeMyTrip, Pitti took to X again on Friday and wrote, "MakeMyTrip may dismiss this as a 'motivated accusation,' but when national security is at stake, silence is not an option."
Pitti shared screenshots of the investors page of MakeMyTrip, which shows the names and images of people allegedly affiliated with a Chinese-origin company, Trip.com, and also with MakeMyTrip.
According to Pitti, EaseMyTrip's competitor has a "deeply rooted structure of Chinese-backed influence, which continues to shape the company."
He said that five out of ten board members of MakeMyTrip have direct links to China, and certain strategic board committees are either headed or being influenced by directors with clear Chinese affiliations.
