The Srivastava Group: A Canadian Headquarters with Global Ambitions and Controversies
Tucked away in a modest south Edmonton neighborhood is the Canadian headquarters of the Srivastava Group, an Indian conglomerate with a Brick facade and a spruce tree adorning its front yard. Despite its unassuming appearance, the company, run by a prominent New Delhi family, operates on a global scale, with claimed offices in Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada. The Srivastava Group owns newspaper and oil and gas businesses, but its activities in Canada have sparked significant national security concerns. Public records revealed that the company and its senior executives have been accused of engaging in secretive and potentially dangerous operations, including alleged ties to Indian intelligence agencies and efforts to influence Canadian politicians.
Allegations of Influence Peddling and Disinformation
At the heart of the controversy is Ankit Srivastava, the vice chair of the Srivastava Group, who has been accused by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) of being “tasked” by Indian intelligence agencies to influence Canadian politicians. According to a 2015 CSIS report, Srivastava was allegedly instructed to identify "random Caucasian politicians" and provide them with financial assistance and propaganda material to sway their support in favor of issues impacting India. The report also detailed allegations that the Srivastava Group had registered fake websites masquerading as news outlets, some pretending to be Canadian, to push pro-India rhetoric and criticise Pakistan. Immigration officials deemed Srivastava a "serious threat to Canada" and barred him from entering the country, citing concerns that these fake news websites could compromise Canadian elections and governmental processes.
Srivastava’s Denial and Legal Battles
Ankit Srivastava has vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as a "gross misunderstanding." He claims that his interactions with Indian intelligence agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), were purely in his capacity as a journalist and editor-in-chief of the New Delhi Times, a newspaper owned by the Srivastava Group. Srivastava also maintains that he refused any offers of financial compensation for his alleged cooperation with RAW and IB, stating that their requests were merely to lobby Canadian politicians to support India’s policies. His lawyer, Lorne Waldman, has argued that the allegations against him are based on "unreasonable inferences" from "unreliable sources."
Despite these denials, Srivastava’s immigration application was rejected in 2015, with Canadian officials citing reasonable grounds to believe he was involved in espionage. However, the Federal Court later sided with Srivastava in 2020, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations and ordering the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to reassess his application. A subsequent ruling in January 2023 again rejected the government’s claims, stating that there were no reasonable grounds to believe Srivastava was inadmissible.
The Srivastava Group’s Global Operations and Disinformation Allegations
The Srivastava Group describes itself as one of India’s fastest-growing conglomerates, with interests spanning natural resources, clean energy, aerospace, healthcare, and media. However, its activities have come under intense scrutiny, particularly its alleged role in disinformation campaigns. EU DisinfoLab, a Brussels-based research group, has linked the Srivastava Group to a pro-India influence network that operates fake news websites and non-profit organizations to discredit India’s adversaries, particularly Pakistan. These operations allegedly aim to improve India’s global image and secure international support. In Canada, the group has been accused of creating fake news sites targeting South Asian populations, promoting pro-India narratives, and spreading false or misleading information about India’s rivals.
The Broader Context of Foreign Interference in Canada
The allegations against the Srivastava Group are part of a larger pattern of foreign interference in Canada, particularly from India. In a January 2024 report, Canada’s foreign interference commission highlighted concerns about Indian government agents potentially providing "illicit financial support" to Canadian politicians to influence elections or policy decisions. The report did not name specific individuals or organizations, but the government’s allegations against Srivastava and his company have raised fears about the vulnerability of Canada’s electoral and governmental processes to foreign manipulation. Disinformation experts warn that allowing foreign nationals linked to such activities to immigrate to Canada could have serious implications for the country’s national security and democratic integrity.
Conclusion: A Tale of Power, Influence, and Global Politics
The story of the Srivastava Group and Ankit Srivastava serves as a stark reminder of the complex and often shadowy world of global influence operations. While Srivastava and his lawyer argue that he has been unfairly targeted based
