12 Apr 2024
It has tied up with state and private transport companies to offer 1 million bus services on 25,000 routes across the country,
Flipkart entered the travel domain by acquiring the travel aggregator ClearTrip in 2021. In 2022, it launched Flipkart Hotels, offering access to 30,000 hotels in India and abroad. It also sells airline tickets through Flipkart Flights.
It started viewing the bus sector when it witnessed an 80% jump in ClearTrip’s bus bookings during the Big Billion Days festive sale last year. Over 60% of bus bookings come from tier 2 and 3 cities in India, where Flipkart has a stronghold. The eCommerce giant plans to create a one-stop shop for all travel needs.
Moreover, due to the emerging expressways nationwide, bus bookings are expected to witness a 200% increase. Spiritual and revenge tourism (tours that follow a period of being unable to travel) are rising.
The bus industry is highly competitive. Redbus is the biggest online bus booking platform globally and owns 75% market share in India.