IRCTC turns to ‘lucrative’ online shopping business

Jul 19, 2013 |

Age Correspondent

Even though the IRCTC has not yet fully addressed issues in online train ticket booking, it has forayed into the lucrative online shopping to tap the rail passengers who visit its website in a big number daily. The IRCTC on Thursday said that the online shopping through its Web portal would commence in two months time for which it’s partnering with a number of existing players in the sector.

The IRCTC commands an enviable 2.5 crores user-base, who visit its website primarily to book train tickets. While the agency is yet to address a number of issues, including glitches in booking of tickets, the IRCTC is trying to upgrade its capacity to ensure faster booking of tickets. Recently, the IRCTC had launched the services of SMS-based booking of train tickets.
The IRCTC portal gets around 12 to 15 lakh visitors a day and books 4.3 lakh tickets daily. It even achieved a record 5.1 lakh tickets on a single day on March 1 this year.
“IRCTC is expecting to capitalise its huge user base of 2.5 crores to make a big stride in the online shopping. The IRCTC has so far been providing all sorts of travelling solutions like rail ticket, cab booking, hotel accommodation and tourism packages. It started air ticketing in 2012,” said the IRCTC in a statement.
With the launching of online shopping services, IRCTC will add one more dimension to its varied business verticals, it added.

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