Ixigo’s AbhiBus Join Hands With German FlixBus, To Expand in Southern India

FlixBus, a German travel technology startup expanding rapidly in India, has teamed with ixigo’s bus ticketing platform AbhiBus. Users will be able to browse FlixBus bus itineraries at pricing starting at INR 99 through AbhiBus’ portal.

“We are thrilled to partner with AbhiBus, using its strong presence in South India to expand our reach into new markets. As part of our recent South India development, we inaugurated six new routes as inaugural links in the region, linking 33 cities and accelerating our growth. Surya Khurana, managing director of Flixbus India, said in a statement that the company’s goal is to provide Indian passengers with easy and cheap travel options that prioritize comfort and sustainability.

AbhiBus COO Rohit Sharma commented on the relationship with FlixBus, saying, “This partnership shows our shared desire to revolutionize intercity travel in India by providing high-quality, yet cheap bus services. By integrating FlixBus’ premium options with our smart and user-friendly platform, we are improving the travel experience for Indian travelers.”

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The development comes just a week after FlixBus announced its expansion into the country’s southern area with the debut of 14 new buses on six new routes via Bengaluru. In a statement, the firm stated that the agreement with Ixigo will allow it to expand into locations such as Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirupati, and Vijayawada.

The cooperation is expected to boost ixigo’s revenue from its bus ticketing business. In the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25 (Q1 FY25), the startup’s bus tickets income increased from INR 35.9 Cr to INR 39.6 Cr.

FlixBus, founded in 2011, operates low-cost intercity bus services in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. In India, it began its voyage in February of this year, with Delhi serving as the hub. Since then, it has grown to 101 cities.

This is FlixBus’ second relationship with a bus ticketing aggregator platform in India. In July, it collaborated with finance giant Paytm to allow consumers to book bus tickets through Paytm’s app.

Sudhakar Reddy Chirra founded AbhiBus in 2008, and the company offers end-to-end software and other value-added solutions such as eticketing, fleet management, vehicle tracking, passenger information systems, and logistics management. 

It claims to represent more than 4,000 private bus operators and 25 main state RTCs, covering more than 350,000 routes across the country.

In 2021, ixigo purchased the startup for cash and equity. The acquisition granted the listed travel tech startup complete control over AbhiBus’ intellectual property, branding, technology, and operations.

Earlier this year, ixigo expanded its cooperation with PhonePe to include flight and bus tickets on the latter’s app.

Ixigo shares closed today’s trading session 1.9% higher at INR 157.25 on the BSE.