Ecom companies cut Turkish brands' visibility amid Indo-Pak tension

Flipkart Travel, Cleartrip suspend all flight, hotel and holiday package bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan

E-commerce (ecom) platforms in India are quietly reducing the visibility of Turkish brands, a move seen as aligning with the country's national interest and sovereignty, according to people familiar with the matter. The shift follows recent reports of closer diplomatic and military ties between Turkey and Pakistan after a flare-up in tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.

 

“Over the weekend, we decided to de-prioritise the visibility of Turkish brands on our platform,” said an executive at an online fashion retailer, who asked not to be named. “We are also evaluating whether to delist them entirely,” he added.

 

Some of the leading Turkish fashion brands active on Indian platforms include Trendyol, Mavi, Koton, Lc Waikiki, Oxxo, Grimelange, Penti, Ipekyol, and Dogo.

 

Chinese fast-fashion brand Shein, which was on Indian platforms, was banned by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) in June 2020, following a spike in tensions with China. Nearly five years later, the company — now based in Singapore — has re-entered the Indian market through a partnership with Reliance Retail, one of the country’s largest retailers.

 

Ecom experts said several online Indian travel companies have already taken steps to limit ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan, citing the countries’ perceived alignment with Pakistan amid recent India-Pakistan tensions.

 

"In solidarity with India’s national interest and sovereignty, Flipkart Travel and Cleartrip are suspending all flight, hotel and holiday package bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Our stand is clear. Our loyalty, unwavering. We stand with India. Always," the Flipkart group shared on social media.

 

On Saturday (May 10), Aloke Bajpai, group CEO of online travel portal Ixigo, announced a complete suspension of flight and hotel bookings to Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China. “Enough is enough! Blood and bookings won’t flow together. We are suspending all flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan on Ixigo,” Bajpai said.

 

EaseMyTrip, another major player in the Indian travel sector, issued a travel advisory for its customers, warning against non-essential travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

 

"Indians gave ₹4,000+ cr to Turkey and Azerbaijan last year through tourism. Created jobs. Boosted their economy, hotels, weddings, flights. Today, both stand with Pakistan after Pahalgam attack. Plenty of beautiful places in India and the world. Please skip these 2 places. Jai Hind," industrialist Harsh Goenka wrote on X.