[Update] EaseMyTrip’s Nishant Pitti Doubles Down, Says 5 MakeMyTrip Directors Have Chinese Ties

Update | May 16, 6:00 PM IST

Doubling down on his stance of alleged Chinese influence on MakeMyTrip, Easemytrip cofounder and chairman Nishant Pitti highlighted that five out of the 10 directors on the board of the Nasdaq-listed company have ties with China.

Pitti made the fresh allegations in a post on X today after MakeMyTrip dismissed his earlier claims as “malicious or motivated”.

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

The cofounder added that “three out of the four most strategic board committees” of MakeMyTrip are either led or significantly influenced by directors with clear Chinese affiliations, giving them disproportionate sway over critical decisions.

James Jianzhang Liang, Jane Jie Sun, Moshe Rafiah, and Xing Xiong are the directors nominated on the board of MakeMyTrip by Trip.com, as per the details available on MakeMyTrip’s website. May Yihong Wu, who is the cofounder and executive director of Shanghai Sunnyview Eldercare Company, also sits on the board of MakeMyTrip. 

Pitti also highlighted the recent appointment of Hashim Jooma, founder and MD of Advisory Capital, on the board of MakeMyTrip. 

“The appointment of a new director on 14 May 2025 changes little. A single board reshuffle cannot mask the deep-rooted structure of Chinese-backed influence that continues to shape the board and committee dynamics,” Nishant said.

Original | | May 15, 7.45 PM IST

At a time when the public sentiment in the country is against countries like China, Turkey and Azerbaijan for helping Pakistan in its recent conflict against India, two Indian online travel aggregators (OTAs) EaseMyTrip and MakeMyTrip seem to be involved in a skirmish.

A day after EaseMyTrip founder and chairman Nishant Pitti alleged that MakeMyTrip is majorly owned by China and may expose the data of Indian soldiers who use the platform, the latter rubbished the allegations.

A spokesperson of MakeMyTrip called the accusations “malicious or motivated”. 

“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 who bring a wealth of expertise and a commitment to excellence,” the spokesperson added.

MakeMyTrip has “stringent corporate governance standards” and fully complies with all applicable Indian laws and data privacy frameworks, the spokesperson said.

What’s Behind Pitti’s Allegations?

The founder of EaseMyTrip, which competes with MakeMyTrip, said in a post on X yesterday, “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.” 

He called for “patching” this “loophole”. The post also carried a number of screenshots of MakeMyTrip’s platform.

By Chinese ownership, Pitti was likely referring to Nasdaq-listed Chinese online travel company Ctrip’s stake in MakeMyTrip, acquired through a share-swap deal with Naspers in 2019. 

MakeMyTrip, which also owns brands like Goibibo and Redbus, has Ctrip (Trip.com Group Limited) as its largest institutional shareholder, owning a 45.95% stake, as per investing.com. 

Other notable shareholders in MakeMyTrip include Mirae Asset Global Investments, JP Morgan Asset Management, and Baillie Gifford, among others. 

Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors held a 3.74% stake in EaseMyTrip at the end of the March quarter, as per its shareholding data. Earlier this year, Pitti stepped down as the CEO of the company after offloading a 1.41% stake in the company in December 2024, bringing his ownership to 12.80%. 

The cofounders of the company – Nishant Pitti, Rikant Pitti, and Prashant Pitti – were then on a stake selling spree. During the company’s Q2 FY25 earnings call, the cofounders were questioned about selling almost 25% of their stake since March 2023.  

Following his stake sale in December, Nishant said there would be no more stake sale by any of the promoters. 

The development comes at a time when many Indian travel platforms like ixigo, Cox & Kings and Pickyourtrails have suspended tour packages to Turkey and Azerbaijan in the wake of the India-Pakistan conflict.

While EaseMyTrip has not suspended bookings, it has been urging Indians to avoid non-essential travel to these countries.

Yesterday, MakeMyTrip said it has seen a 60% drop in its bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan in the last week, while cancellations have surged 250%.