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.
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.
"We are very excited about the possibilities these partnerships unfold. Over eight 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 and flexibility for planning their travel," said ixigo Cofounder and CEO, Aloke Bajpai.
"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," said India Business Development Lead Uber, Nandini Maheshwari.
"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," said Vice President redBus, Manoj Agarwala.