New Delhi:
India is investigating the enterprise practices of US streaming large Netflix’s native operations, together with allegations of visa violations and racial discrimination, based on a authorities e-mail despatched to a former government. The small print of investigation had been included in a July 20 e-mail, reviewed by Reuters, which was written by a house ministry official to Netflix’s former director of enterprise and authorized affairs for India, Nandini Mehta, who left the corporate in 2020.
“That is relating to visa and tax violations considerations relating to the enterprise practices of Netflix in India,” wrote Indian official Deepak Yadav from the Foreigners Regional Registration Workplace (FRRO) of the house ministry in New Delhi.
“We have now acquired sure particulars on this regard w.r.t (with respect to) the said firm’s conduct, visa violation, unlawful constructions, tax evasion and different malpractices together with incidents of racial discrimination that the corporate has been engaged in whereas conducting its enterprise in India,” he added.
In an emailed assertion, Ms Mehta mentioned she is pursuing a lawsuit within the US towards Netflix for alleged wrongful termination in addition to racial and gender discrimination – fees the corporate denies.
Ms Mehta mentioned she welcomed the investigation and hopes the authorities make their findings public however didn’t elaborate on the allegations made by the federal government.
Mr Yadav declined to remark, saying he was not approved to talk to the media. The FRRO and Residence Ministry didn’t reply to Reuters queries.
A Netflix spokesperson mentioned the corporate was “unaware of an investigation by the Indian authorities.”
The official’s e-mail reveals rising scrutiny of Netflix in India, the place it has roughly 10 million customers and which it considers a development market the place firms goal prosperous individuals within the nation of 1.4 billion individuals.
Through the years, the US streaming large has developed extra native content material that includes Bollywood actors.
It has additionally typically confronted warmth in India over its content material deemed insensitive by some customers. This month, it was compelled so as to add new disclaimers to an Indian sequence a few airplane hijack after social media outrage and authorities anger over what they mentioned was Muslim hijackers being proven as Hindus.
SEEKING DOCUMENTS, US LAWSUIT
Whereas it’s recognized that Netflix has since 2023 confronted an Indian tax demand – which is difficult – the existence of a broader investigation into allegations together with visa compliance and racial discrimination has not been beforehand reported.
The federal government’s e-mail didn’t elaborate on which businesses are taking a look at points regarding Netflix. The FRRO works intently with dwelling ministry’s Intelligence Bureau, the home intelligence company, and is the primary company trying into foreigners’ visa compliance and permissions to go to so-called “delicate” areas.
Final yr, India accused Chinese language smartphone participant Vivo and its Indian associates of breaching visa guidelines by visiting sure “delicate” areas with out permission.
The FRRO additionally acts as a liaison in issues associated to foreigners with different authorities places of work.
Ms Mehta labored on the firm’s Los Angeles and Mumbai places of work from April 2018 to April 2020, her LinkedIn profile reveals.
The federal government e-mail requested her to supply “particulars/paperwork” as she was a former authorized government of the corporate.
In 2021, Ms Mehta sued Netflix in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket in California for alleged wrongful termination and racial and gender discrimination, amongst different issues, US court docket filings present.
Netflix has in US court docket denied “every allegation” and mentioned in its assertion that Ms Mehta was fired for repeatedly utilizing her company bank card for tens of hundreds of {dollars} in private bills.
Ms Mehta mentioned she is going to “proceed to combat for justice.” Her case is about for a standing listening to on Monday in Los Angeles.