Swadeshi Travel Apps

ConfirmTkt is an IRCTC-authorised train booking app built by Bengaluru-based ConfirmTkt, now part of ixigo (Le Travenues Technology). Its standout feature is ML-powered waitlist prediction — it estimates the confirmation odds of a waitlisted ticket before you book — plus alternate-train suggestions, free PNR status tracking, Tatkal booking and an AI Seat Finder. Free to use with convenience fees on bookings. Best for Indian rail travellers gambling on waitlisted tickets.

EaseMyTrip is India's second-largest OTA, founded in 2008 by Nishant and Rikant Pitti and listed on NSE/BSE since 2021. Books flights, hotels, buses, trains, holidays, cabs, and travel insurance for 2.6 crore+ customers. Its hallmark zero convenience fee policy on flights saves up to ₹400 per passenger per sector. Lean marketing spend (1.1% of bookings) keeps prices low. Best for budget-conscious Indian travellers prioritizing price over UI polish.

IRCTC Rail Connect — the official Indian Railways train booking app from the Government of India's IRCTC. 100M+ Play Store downloads, 3.4 stars. Book reserved tickets across General, Tatkal, Premium Tatkal, Ladies, Divyangjan and Senior Citizen quotas; check PNR status, schedules, seat availability and waitlist probability. UPI, IRCTC eWallet, BNPL and EMI supported. The only direct-to-railway app — ixigo, ConfirmTkt and other agents route through it and add a charge none of them publishes.

ixigo is India's second-largest OTA by FY23 revenue, founded 2007 in Gurugram by IIT Kanpur alumni Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar. Parent Le Travenues Technology has been NSE/BSE-listed since June 2024. Group apps cover flights, trains (via ConfirmTkt), buses (via AbhiBus) and hotels — 21 crore+ registered users, 54 crore+ downloads, ~51% rail booking market share. AI-led trip planner, free to use, revenue from commissions. Best for tier-2/3 travellers booking rail and bus.

MakeMyTrip, founded 2000 by Deep Kalra, is India's largest OTA with ~50% market share. Its parent is incorporated in Mauritius, not the Cayman Islands, and lists on Nasdaq as MMYT; Trip.com holds 17.08% of voting power and all Class B shares. Operations run through Indian subsidiary MMT India in Gurugram, which pre-filed for an India IPO in July 2026. Covers flights, hotels, holidays, buses (redBus), trains and cabs, and owns Goibibo.

Namma Yatri — the Indian Uber alternative and India's first open-source, zero-commission ride-hailing app for autos and cabs, built by Bengaluru-based Moving Tech Innovations Pvt Ltd on ONDC's Beckn network. Drivers keep 100% of the fare and pay a flat subscription, not a per-ride commission. 1.63 crore users and 7.71 lakh drivers per its own open-data dashboard; live in Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mysuru and Tumakuru. Code public under AGPL-3.0. Best for Bengaluru commuters.

Ola Cabs (Ola Consumer) is India's largest homegrown ride-hailing platform, founded 2010 by Bhavish Aggarwal under ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (CIN U72900KA2010PTC086596), Bengaluru. Its own app listing claims 200+ cities in India and 40M+ users — cabs, autos, bike taxis, outstation, rentals and parcel delivery. A nationwide zero-commission driver model on a ~₹67/day subscription was reported in June 2025 but is press-reported only. Best for multi-modal commuting in Tier-II/III cities.

OYO Rooms — the Indian Airbnb and Booking.com alternative built by Gurugram-based Oravel Stays Limited. India's largest budget hotel app with 174,000+ properties in 35+ countries, 10 crore+ downloads and a 4.5-star Play Store rating. Hotel bookings from Rs 800, hourly stays, Wizard membership, OYO Money wallet, free cancellation, and pay-at-hotel. Best for budget travellers and business trips in tier-2/3 Indian cities.

Rapido is India's largest bike-taxi platform, founded in 2015 by Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, and Rishikesh SR under Bangalore-based Roppen Transportation. Offers bike taxis, auto-rickshaws, cabs, parcel (Rapido Parcel), and food delivery (Ownly). 75M+ customers across 500+ cities with 1B+ rides completed. In early 2026 hit 31.8M MAU, overtaking Ola for the first time. Best for budget-conscious commuters needing quick, affordable intra-city rides.

Yatra is one of India's largest online travel agencies (OTA), founded in 2006 in Gurugram by Dhruv Shringi, Manish Amin and Sabina Chopra. Listed on NASDAQ (2016) and NSE/BSE (2023), it books flights, hotels, trains, buses, cabs and holidays, and is India's largest managed corporate travel provider. Best for domestic flights and business travel.