Report: India investigates Netflix for visa violations and racial discrimination

An email from the Indian government to a former executive reveals that India is currently investigating the business practices of US streaming giant Netflix in its home country, including allegations of visa violations and racial discrimination.

The details of the Indian investigation were contained in a July 20 email seen by Reuters, written by a home ministry official to Nandini Mehta, Netflix’s former director of business and legal affairs in India, who left the company in 2020.

“This concerns concerns about visa and tax violations related to Netflix’s business practices in India,” wrote Indian official Deepak Yadav of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) of the Home Ministry in New Delhi.

“We have received certain details in this regard regarding the conduct of the said company, visa violation, illegal structures, tax evasion and other misdemeanours including incidents of racial discrimination in which the company was involved while conducting its business in India,” he added.

In an emailed statement, Mehta said she is suing Netflix in the U.S. for alleged wrongful termination, racial discrimination, and gender discrimination – allegations the company denies.

Mehta said she welcomed the Indian investigation and hoped authorities would publish their findings, but she did not elaborate on the government’s allegations.

Yadav declined to comment, saying he was not authorized to speak to the media. The FRRO and India’s home ministry did not respond to Reuters’ queries.

A Netflix spokesperson said the company was “not aware of any investigation by the Indian government.”

The Indian official’s email shows that Netflix is ​​increasingly under scrutiny in India, where the service has around 10 million users and is seen as a growth market, with companies targeting wealthy people in the country of 1.4 billion people.

Over the years, the US streaming giant has developed more local content featuring Bollywood actors.

The platform has also come under fire in India for what some users consider to be insensitive content. This month, the platform was forced to add new disclaimers to an Indian series about a plane hijacking after social media outrage and government anger over alleged portrayal of Muslim hijackers as Hindus.

Search for documents, US lawsuit

Although Netflix is ​​known to have been facing an Indian tax demand since 2023 – which it is contesting – there has been no report of the existence of a broader investigation into the allegations, including those related to visa violations and racial discrimination.

The Indian government’s email did not specify which agencies are dealing with the Netflix issues. The FRRO works closely with the Home Ministry’s Intelligence Bureau and is the main agency dealing with visa compliance and allowing foreigners to visit so-called “sensitive” regions.

Last year, India accused Chinese smartphone maker Vivo and its Indian subsidiaries of violating visa regulations by visiting certain “sensitive” regions without permission. India classifies parts of certain states, such as Jammu and Kashmir in the north and Sikkim in the east, as restricted areas.

In addition, the FRRO acts as a liaison with other government agencies on immigration matters.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Mehta worked in the company’s Los Angeles and Mumbai offices from April 2018 to April 2020.

The Indian government’s email asked her to provide “details/documents” as she used to work as a legal executive for the company.

In 2021, Mehta sued Netflix in Los Angeles County Superior Court in California, alleging wrongful termination and racial and gender discrimination, among other things, according to U.S. court records.

Netflix has denied “every single allegation” in a US court and said in its statement that Mehta was fired because she repeatedly used her company credit card for personal expenses amounting to tens of thousands of dollars.

Mehta said she will “continue to fight for justice.” Her case is scheduled to be heard in Los Angeles on Monday.

(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is from the feed of a syndicated news agency – Reuters.)