IRCTC says third-party platforms account for 28% of online rail-ticket bookings
IRCTC said Paytm, MakeMyTrip, ixigo and ConfirmTkt collectively drive 28% of online railway-ticket bookings, highlighting the scale of partner-led distribution. IRCTC’s own app accounts for 53% and its website 17%; no individual share for Paytm was disclosed.
What happened
IRCTC said third-party associates including Paytm, MakeMyTrip, ixigo and ConfirmTkt collectively account for 28% of India’s online rail-ticket bookings. The
Key facts
- 89% of railway tickets booked online
- 53% via IRCTC Rail Connect app
- 17% via IRCTC website
- 2% via government arrangements
- 28% via third-party business associates collectively
- 18 lakh-19 lakh railway tickets booked daily
- 14.88 lakh-15 lakh tickets booked online daily
- Paytm consumer UPI GTV rose 45% YoY to ₹5.9 lakh crore in Q1 FY27
- Paytm monthly transacting users rose by 60 lakh to 8 crore
Why this matters
Travel, payments and OTA platforms should pursue deeper rail-ticketing partnerships because collective third-party distribution already captures more than one-quarter of IRCTC’s online booking volume.
What to watch
- IRCTC disclosure of individual booking shares or revised authorized-partner agreements
- Changes in IRCTC API access, convenience-fee rules, commissions or passenger-data policies
- Rail booking growth versus IRCTC direct app and website growth
- Partner adoption of waitlist prediction, alternative-route recommendations and automated refund/disruption tools
- Growth in attach rates for hotels, buses, insurance, food, fintech products or advertising from rail-booking users
- Consumer-protection or regulatory actions involving third-party booking fees, refunds or ticket availability
- Travel platforms will emphasize rail-ticket booking as an entry point for hotels, buses, flights, food delivery, insurance and destination services.
- Payment platforms may use rail bookings to increase UPI/payment frequency, offer targeted cashback and build travel-related merchant ecosystems.
- IRCTC is likely to seek higher-value partner contracts, better passenger-data access, stronger service-level commitments and tighter control of customer communications.
- Platforms with the best train-search, waitlist prediction, alternatives and disruption support may gain share within the third-party 28%, even if overall IRCTC booking growth is modest.
- Competitors may increase investment in rail-specific features rather than generic travel marketing, since rail inventory offers frequent, high-intent consumer sessions.