India probing Netflix for visa violations, racial discrimination, email shows

“This is regarding visa and taxation violations concerns regarding the concern practices of Netflix successful India,” wrote Indian authoritative Deepak Yadav from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) of the location ministry successful New Delhi.

“We person received definite details successful this respect w.r.t (with respect to) the stated company’s conduct, visa violation, amerciable structures, taxation evasion and different malpractices including incidents of radical favoritism that institution has been engaged successful portion conducting its concern successful India,” helium added.

In an emailed statement, Mehta said she is pursuing a suit successful US against Netflix for alleged wrongful termination arsenic good arsenic radical and sex favoritism – charges the institution denies.

Mehta said she welcomed the Indian probe and hopes the authorities marque their findings public, but did not elaborate connected the allegations made by the government.

Yadav declined to comment, saying helium was not authorized to talk to media. The FRRO and India’s location ministry did not respond to Reuters queries.

A Netflix spokesperson said the institution was “unaware of an probe by the Indian government.”

The Indian official’s email shows increasing scrutiny of Netflix successful India, wherever it has astir 10 cardinal users and which it considers a maturation marketplace wherever companies people affluent radical successful the federation of 1.4 cardinal people.

Over the years, the U.S. streaming elephantine has developed much section contented featuring Bollywood actors.

It has besides often faced vigor successful India implicit its contented deemed insensitive by immoderate users. This month, it was forced to adhd caller disclaimers to an Indian bid astir a level hijack aft societal media outrage and authorities choler implicit what they said was Muslim hijackers being shown arsenic Hindus.

SEEKING DOCUMENTS, US LAWSUIT

While it is known that Netflix has since 2023 faced an Indian taxation request – which it is challenging – the beingness of a broader probe into allegations including visa compliance and radical favoritism has not been antecedently reported.

The Indian government’s email did not elaborate which agencies are looking astatine issues concerning Netflix. The FRRO works intimately with location ministry’s Intelligence Bureau, the home quality agency, and is the main bureau looking into foreigners’ visa compliance and permissions to sojourn alleged “sensitive” regions.

Last year, India accused Chinese smartphone subordinate Vivo and its Indian affiliates for breaching visa rules by visiting definite “sensitive” regions without permission. India classifies parts of definite states specified arsenic Jammu & Kashmir successful northbound and Sikkim successful eastbound arsenic restricted areas.

The FRRO besides acts arsenic a liaison successful matters related to foreigners with different authorities offices.

Mehta worked astatine the company’s Los Angeles and Mumbai offices from April 2018 to April 2020, her LinkedIn illustration shows.

The Indian authorities email asked her to supply “details/documents” arsenic she was a erstwhile ineligible enforcement of the company.

In 2021, Mehta sued Netflix successful Los Angeles County Superior Court successful California for alleged wrongful termination and radical and sex discrimination, among different things, U.S. tribunal filings show.

Netflix has successful U.S. tribunal denied “each and each allegation” and said successful its connection that Mehta was fired for repeatedly utilizing her firm recognition paper for tens of thousands of dollars successful idiosyncratic expenses.

Mehta said she volition “continue to combat for justice.” Her lawsuit is acceptable for a presumption proceeding connected Monday successful Los Angeles.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Krishn Kaushik; Additional reporting by Mike Scarcella successful Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)