Indian Railways ties up with Itz Cash to provide online Reservations

Millions of travelers on Indian Railway can now avail of a new alternative method of booking their tickets. Those used to waiting their turn at long queues at the railway reservation centres can now book their tickets from the convenience of home/office or even a cyber cafe. Indian Railway’s marketing arm, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has entered into an agreement with Intrex India Ltd., an Essel group company, to enable railway ticketing through Internet using the pre-paid Itz Cash cards as a payment mechanism.

Commenting on the tie-up, Mr. Vinod Asthana, Group General Manager, IRCTC said, “A large number of our potential customers wanting to buy tickets online do not own credit cards, in smaller cities and among the less economically advantaged sections of society even in metros. The tie-up will enable us to expand our customer base through an alternative payment mechanism.” He was speaking at a Press Conference organised here today. “Many of those who have credit or debit cards are skeptical in using them for online transactions and micro payments due to the risk associated with it. In a city like Mumbai, credit card holders may be skeptical to make its use online for micro payment. Itz Cash being available in various denominations eliminates the risks and is well suited for online payments”, he added. Said Mr. Naveen Surya, Executive Director, Intrex India, “We value our association with IRCTC. The current initiative will enable Itz cash to increase market penetration and widen customer base. It would give a momentum to our endeavor to meet the aspirations of Internet users for a safe & convenient payment option”. Although there are 50 lakh Railway Tickets booked every day, only a small part of total booking is done through the Internet. In spite of the option of online booking being available in around 150 cities all over India, so far, the online purchase is mainly concentrated in big metros like Mumbai & Delhi. Even in the metros, the large, economically weak, migrant population is unable to avail of this option due to lack of formal banking relationships required to book online. With Itz Cash joining hands with IRCTC, that problem is obviated, which could lead to significant ease for the masses during times like festivals, when booking railway tickets becomes a uphill task. Online booking of Rail Ticket through Itz Cash will also allow this method of ticket purchase to penetrate rural and semi urban populations. Fruits of the IT Revolution will now truly reach the masses. Launched in November 2003, Itz Cash is India’s first multi-purpose prepaid card that enables consumers to conveniently shop online, book railway tickets, buy Internet connection packages and play online games. Donations could be made either online or through SMS to 7575 to Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple. Itz Cash comes in denominations of Rs. 100, Rs. 250, Rs. 500, Rs. 1000, Rs. 1500, Rs. 3000, Rs.5000, Rs. 7,500 and Rs. 10,000. Itz Cash is available across the country through 88 Asian Sky Shop franchisee network, 4,500 Playwin retailers, 5,500 Dish TV outlets and Indiatimes shopping portal. The company has already tied up with Indiatimes.com, Rediff.com, Asian Sky Shop, ZEE Interactive Learning Systems, HCL Infinet, Dish TV and Playwin, to provide value options to consumers.