Homegrown online travel platform EaseMyTrip founder and chairman Nishant Pitti has alleged that popular travel apps with significant Chinese ownership may be accessing Indian passport data.

“Some popular travel apps, with significant Chinese ownership, may be accessing Indian passport data. This isn’t just about business - it’s a national security issue,” Pitti said in a post on X without sharing much details.

The EaseMyTrip founder further said, “Before booking your travel, ask - is the platform truly aligned with Bharat, or majority-owned by foreign regimes hostile to us?”

Pitti’s comments come after Indian social media users started boycotting Türkiye and Azerbaijan for openly supporting Pakistan amid escalating tensions.

The EaseMyTrip chairman on Sunday said travel is a powerful tool, urging Indian travellers not to use it to empower those who don’t stand with India. Last year, about 287,000 Indians visited Türkiye, while 243,000 visited Azerbaijan. Tourism is a key economic pillar for both these countries. The tourism industry contributes 12% to Türkiye’s gross domestic product (GDP) and provides 10% of jobs. Similarly, tourism contributes 7.6% to Azerbaijan’s GDP.

“When these nations openly support Pakistan, should we fuel their tourism and their economies?” asked the EaseMyTrip chairman.

Commenting on the move to suspend travel bookings for Türkiye and Azerbaijan, Rikant Pittie, CEO and co-founder, EaseMyTrip, said, “EaseMyTrip was the only online travel agency to boycott the Maldives, keeping bookings closed for over a year, not for attention, but out of respect for our nation until relations between the two countries began to normalise. After the Pahalgam terror attack, while many stayed silent, we were once again the first to issue a travel advisory against Turkey and Azerbaijan for their open support to Pakistan, urging Indian travellers to avoid non-essential visits.”

“As a proud Indian company, the safety and sentiments of Indian travellers have always guided our actions. We are heartened to see that many other travel platforms and companies are now taking similar stands. It's a positive sign of collective responsibility in moments that matter most,” Pittie said.

Travel aggregator ixigo, too, suspended flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan and China following the India-Pakistan conflict. “In solidarity with our nation, ixigo is suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan and China. Because when it comes to Bharat, we don’t think twice,” it said in a post on X.