Easemytrip founder accuses MakeMyTrip of having Chinese ties

In the middle of military tensions between India and Pakistan, Easemytrip founder Nishant Pitti has accused rival MakeMyTrip of endangering the travel data of Indian Armed Forces personnel. Pitti has claimed that the data is at risk since a majority of MakeMyTrip is owned by China.

"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," Pitti wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. He also attached screenshots of the MakeMyTrip platform, showing that army officials get a special fare, to avail of which they have to provide their defence ID.

MakeMyTrip may dismiss this as a “motivated accusation” but when national security is at stake, silence is not an option.

Board Under Influence
Half of MakeMyTrip’s board - 5 out of 10 directors have direct ties to China, including pivotal appointments by… https://t.co/hLi9KHrKKy pic.twitter.com/MiT4PucSft

— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) May 15, 2025

MakeMyTrip dismissed the allegations as a "motivated accusation". “MakeMyTrip is a proud Indian company, founded by Indians, headquartered in India, and trusted by millions of Indian travellers for over 25 years. We are a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq, with a diverse shareholder base spanning the globe. Our operations are independent, steered by a seasoned team of Indian professionals. We don’t comment on malicious or motivated accusations," a company spokesperson said.

Pitti reiterated his stance in another post on X on Thursday. "Half of MakeMyTrip’s board — 5 out of 10 directors have direct ties to China, including pivotal appointments by Trip.com, a company with Chinese ownership," the post read.

He also alleged that three of the four strategic board committees "are either led or significantly influenced by directors with clear Chinese affiliations".

Pitti hit out at the rival company for appointing a new Mauritius-based director on May 14, calling it a "cosmetic change". "A single board reshuffle cannot mask the deep-rooted structure of Chinese-backed influence that continues to shape the board and committee dynamics," he said.