NEW DELHI: EaseMyTrip founder and chairman Nishant Pitti has urged people to choose “Made in India” products over Chinese alternatives, days after he called on travelers to avoid visiting Turkey and Azerbaijan due to their open support for Pakistan amid the ongoing ‘Operation Sindoor’.Sharing a post on social media platform X, Pitti addressed the issue of celebrities endorsing Chinese products and Chinese-owned websites. He emphasised that national interests should take precedence over individual benefits or convenience.“Valid question – what about websites owned by Chinese firms? What about celebs promoting Chinese products? Answer lies in our choices. Stop using such sites. Boycott those endorsements. National interest > personal convenience or profit. Time to walk the talk,” he said in a post on X.Pakistan’s steadfast ally, China, continues to supply military hardware to Islamabad whilst maintaining a supportive stance towards Pakistan regarding Operation Sindoor. Additionally, China has consistently prevented India’s efforts to list Pakistan-based terrorists in the UN Security Council’s terror registry.India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7 following the Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan responded with aggression, deploying various drones and UAVs, which India neutralised using anti-UAV systems.The defence systems countered multiple threats, including Chinese-manufactured PL-15 missiles, long-range rockets, and Turkish-made Yahya systems. China termed India’s counter-terrorism strikes as “regrettable” whilst claiming to oppose terrorism.Previously, Pitti discouraged travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan, citing their explicit support for Pakistan despite the Pahalgam attack. He presented statistics showing that 287,000 Indians visited Turkey and 243,000 visited Azerbaijan last year, suggesting that tourism significantly impacts these economies.He emphasised that travel expenditure represents a form of endorsement, advocating that Indians should direct their spending towards nations that respect Indian values.“Travel is a powerful tool. Let’s not use it to empower those who don’t stand with us. Last year: 287,000 Indians visited Turkey & 243,000 visited Azerbaijan Tourism drives their economies: Turkey: 12% of GDP | 10% of jobs Azerbaijan: 7.6% of GDP | 10% of jobs,” he had said.“When these nations openly support Pakistan, should we fuel their tourism and their economies? Every rupee we spend abroad is a vote. Let’s spend it where our values are respected. Jai Hind,” he added.Turkey and Azerbaijan have expressed support for Pakistan, despite its backing of cross-border terrorism against India and its aggressive stance following Indian Armed Forces’ strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes were carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives.
