Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s meeting with EaseMyTrip co-founder Rikant Pitti. | X @rikantpitti
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s meeting with EaseMyTrip co-founder Rikant Pitti at the recent Andhra Pradesh Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam has sparked criticism, coming months after his brother Nishant Pitti was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Mahadev online betting app money-laundering case.
Pitti, whose residence and company premises were searched across multiple cities in April 2025, was under the scanner for alleged financial links between entities tied to him and the illegal betting network. ED sleuth had conducted raids at several locations in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Chennai, and Sambalpur (Odisha).
The ED suspected that a portion of the “proceeds of crime” from the app may have been routed to firms associated with him.
Despite the ongoing scrutiny, EaseMyTrip co-founder RikantPitti publicly shared details of his interactions with Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and state ministers. In a post on X on November 17, he praised Naidu’s tourism vision and revealed discussions on cultural and coastal tourism, electric buses, homestays, and entrepreneurship. He even urged entrepreneurs in travel and mobility sectors to reach out for collaborations.
Political observers say the optics of Chandrababu Naidu engaging with a business figure embroiled in a money-laundering probe are questionable, especially at a summit meant to showcase Andhra Pradesh as a clean, corruption-free and investor-friendly destination.
The timing of Rikant Pitti has raised further concerns as Google simultaneously announced a $15-billion investment to set up a gigawatt-scale AI hub in Visakhapatnam—its largest outside the US. Critics argue that courting a controversial businessman at such a high-profile forum undercuts the state’s efforts to portray regulatory integrity.
Adding to the controversy is the dramatic collapse of EaseMyTrip’s parent company, Easy Trip Planners Ltd. Its shares have plunged more than 92% since November 2022, falling from over Rs 100 to just Rs 7, intensifying questions over the firm’s financial credibility.
Beleaguered Nishant Pitti, one of the top promoters of Easy Trip Planners, in September this year divested a 14 per cent stake in the company for Rs 920 crore through open market transactions.
According to the bulk deal data available on the NSE, Nishant Pitti sold 24,65,49,833 shares, amounting to a 14 per cent stake in Easy Trip Planners.The shares were offloaded in the price range of Rs 37.22-38.28 apiece, taking the combined transaction value to Rs 920.06 crore, reported news agency PTI.
Opposition leaders have accused the Naidu government of “poor judgment” and “mixed messaging,” arguing that the state should avoid legitimising figures under active central investigation. The Chief Minister’s Office has not yet responded to the criticism.
