Uber & redBus Partner with ixigo for Train Travellers

ixigo, India’s leading mobile travel marketplace has announced partnerships with Uber and redBus to enable instant bookings for cabs and buses natively within ixigo trains app. The partnership gives Uber and redBus a reach of 10 million train travellers who have installed India’s most popular train information search app for Android.

Uber & redBus Partner with ixigo

ixigo’s train app users will now be able to register for Uber and book a ride, even if they haven’t installed the Uber app on their device. Similarly, they will be able to view bus schedules, choose boarding / drop-off points, select their seats on the bus, make payments and book redBus bus seats without leaving the ixigo trains app. When a confirmed train PNR exists on the user’s phone, the app contextually reminds users to book an Uber just before departure from their origin and upon arrival at their destination city. If a user’s desired train ticket is waitlisted or unavailable, they are also reminded about the prices and availability of buses for that route via redBus.

Speaking on the launch, Aloke Bajpai, ixigo Co­founder & CEO said - “We are very excited about the possibilities these partnerships unfold. Over 8 billion train trips happen every year in India, and local travel to and from the railway station forms an important part of the overall journey experience. In that spirit, we have partnered with the global market leader, Uber, to build a seamless pre and post trip experience. For users who are looking for an alternative to trains, buses are the next most affordable and convenient mode of transport. Our partnership with redBus, India’s market leading bus ticketing company, offers ixigoers more choice & flexibility for planning their travel.”

Commenting on the partnership, Nandini Maheshwari, India Business Development Lead, Uber said - “We are really excited about partnering with ixigo to offer their customers a seamless and hassle free road travel experience, to and from railway stations in over 28 cities across India. We are rolling out special promotions for riders taking their first Uber ride through ixigo trains app and encouraging them to travel around the city at the push of a button."

Manoj Agarwala, Vice President, redBus added - “Train travellers often face the frustration of being waitlisted, and buses are a common substitute for train travel in India. ixigo’s market-leading train app will now offer comfortable bus seats with state and private bus operators across 70,000 bus routes in India. This partnership opens up a valuable new market segment for redBus.”  

About ixigo

Launched in 2007,ixigo is India’s leading travel search marketplace, connecting over 80 million travellers with content & deals from over 25,000 online & offline travel & hospitality businesses. ixigo aggregates and compares real-time travel information, prices & availability for flights, trains, buses, cabs, hotels, packages & destinations. ixigo’s mission is to simplify the lives of travellers by building apps that make their travel search and planning hassle-free and it has won several awards in its journey, including the TiE-Lumis Entrepreneurial Excellence Award and the NASSCOM Top-10 Emerge Award. ixigo’s investors include SAIF Partners, MakeMyTrip & Micromax.

About Uber

Uber is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through our app, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers. From our founding in 2009 to our launches in hundreds of cities today, Uber's rapidly expanding global presence continues to bring people and their cities closer. Today Uber is available in 450+ cities across 73 countries. The service is available in 28 Indian cities -- more than any other country outside the United States and China.www.uber.com

About redBus

redBus was founded in the year 2006 and it became part of ibibo Group in 2013 via a 100% acquisition. redBus is India’s Number One online bus ticketing platform, both on mobile and desktop offering services of 2,300+ bus operators across 70,000 routes in India.redBus’s contribution to bus travel in India was illustrated by the fact that in 2015, it was rated as the “Most Trusted Brand in Online Travel” by two independent surveys and the acceleration in business performance was capped by the milestone of 75 million bus tickets sold since inception. redBus also expanded its presence beyond India in 2015 and is presently operational in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Peru.