Sify's Online Railway Ticket Initiative
By CXOtoday Staff
Mumbai, Sep 22, 2006

In a move to make railway ticketing more convenient, Sify Ltd has tied up with IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) to enable online railway ticketing services with cash payments at over 3400 iWay cyber cafes across 154 cities in the country.

Currently, online bookings on the IRCTC site involve credit card payments or a net banking facility, limiting its utility for a vast majority of Indians who prefer to pay cash. Hence, a way to make online ticket reservations by paying cash was an imperative need. Sify's has already started a pilot project at 10 iWays in Delhi.

"This path-breaking initiative is aimed at making railway e-ticketing easier and convenient for our customers across the country. For they no longer have to worry about using credit cards or having a net banking facility which is restricted to those with access to computers at home or in the office," commented P K Goel, Managing Director, IRCTC.

"It is innovative solutions like this that will grow e-commerce in India, and I am extremely pleased that we have been able to work with the IRCTC to make this possible. This is only the first of many new initiatives planned to transform our iWay cyber cafes from being points for Internet access, to what we like to call 'eStores', with all manner of electronic distribution and fulfillment of services," informed Raju Vegesna, MD & CEO, Sify Limited.

Customers can thus bypass railway booking counters and travel agents and purchase the ticket at a neighborhood Sify iWay, pay cash and collect the ticket printout. Cancellations can also be done following the standard IRCTC process, and receive cash against the cancellation.