Launched by MakeMyTrip and developed by txtWeb, this is India’s first service of this kind. It’s simple and easy and does not require a smartphone. To avail of the service, users are required to simply enter the name of the location they wish to start their bus journey from, the destination, date of travel, and number of passengers.

On receiving an acknowledgment from MakeMyTrip, users will be required to select and send via SMS the operator of choice from the names provided. MakeMyTrip will respond with details and names of travellers along with a template to make payments. Once the payment procedure is completed, a confirmation SMS will be sent along with an e-mail. For several operators, the SMS will itself work as an e-ticket, a release stated.

Amit Somani, Chief Products Officer, MakeMyTrip, added, “We targeted bus-ticket reservation for this platform since the ticket-value is lower for most first-time users to confidently experiment with the channel. Once they experience the convenience first hand, we are confident they will continue to transact via mobile. We strongly believe that the future of eCommerce and travel buying experience is on the ‘mobile’ and we will continue to build products with a mobile-first approach.”

“India is the largest market for mobile phones, with the growth in handsets sales and new mobile connections far out-pacing sales of desktops, notebooks and new Internet connections.

 Mobile is the perfect channel for a travel company to provide real value and service to the customer.”

The MakeMyTrip website offers bus tickets for over 1,300 operators across more than 12,000 routes across India, including the inventory for Punbus/Punjab Roadways, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, Goa and Bihar Road Transport Corporation, and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.