India-Pak tensions: Samsung cancels Galaxy S25 Edge launch event in Delhi; other brands may follow

Firms like Ernst & Young (EY) India and Deloitte have advised their staff to work from home on May 9

Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attacks, South Korean electronics giant Samsung has cancelled its highly anticipated Galaxy S25 Edge global launch event scheduled for May 13 in New Delhi, sources told Moneycontrol.

Samsung sent out invitations for its Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone, which will also be launched globally on the same day. The event, which was planned to take place in New Delhi, has now been called off due to the rising tensions.

A query sent to Samsung didn’t elicit any response.

Executives said guidance from global headquarters is being awaited before formal decisions are taken about rescheduling or shifting events to virtual formats. “We’re internally discussing our options. We’re monitoring developments closely,” one senior executive at a rival brand said.

The decision comes after Pakistan’s attempted strikes on Indian military sites using drones and missiles, prompting heightened security alerts across several northern states. At least eight missiles and multiple drones were intercepted by Indian air defence systems late Thursday night, targeting areas in Jammu, Pathankot, and other border regions.

Multinational tech firms are awaiting directives from their global headquarters on issuing work-from-home advisories in the wake of escalating tensions.

Firms like Ernst & Young (EY) India and Deloitte have advised their staff to work from home on May 9, as a precautionary measure, especially after multiple states implemented blackouts and called for emergency readiness.

Several states — including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Bihar — have heightened security, shut down schools, and suspended leave for police and administrative staff following Islamabad’s failed missile and drone attacks.