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Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation

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Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the state-owned Indian Railways. It was established in 1999 by the Government of India and operated under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways. In 2019, it was listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange with the Government holding a 67% ownership. As of December 2023, there are 66 million registered users with IRCTC with a daily average of 7.31 lakh tickets booked.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
Company typePublic
ISININE335Y01012
IndustryRailways
Founded27 September 1999;
25 years ago (1999-09-27)
Headquarters
New Delhi
,
India
Area served
India
Key people
Sanjay Kumar Jain
(Chairman & MD)
ProductsRail Neer
Services
RevenueIncrease ₹4,270 crore (US$510 million) (FY24)[1]
Increase ₹1,580 crore (US$190 million) (FY24)[1]
Increase ₹1,111 crore (US$130 million) (FY24)[1]
OwnerGovernment of India (62.4%)
Members66 million registered users[2] (2023)
Websitewww.irctc.co.in

History

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Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was established on 27 September 1999, as a public sector undertaking completely owned by the Government of India through the Indian Railways.[3] In May 2008, it was classed as a Miniratna public corporation, which allowed it a certain degree of financial autonomy.[3] In 2018, then Railway Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the government was exploring opportunities for disinvestment of IRCTC.[4]

The company was listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2019, following which the Government of India's holding was reduced to 87%, with the remaining shares being publicly traded.[5][6] In December 2020, the Government of India divested another 20%, reducing its holding in the IRCTC to 67%.[7][8][9] In December 2022, the government dis-invested further 5% of its share, reducing its ownership to 62.4%.[10]

Services

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Ticketing and information

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Online ticketing for Indian Railways was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC.[11] IRCTC provides multiple channels for passengers to book tickets through website, smartphone apps and SMS. For Electronic tickets (e-tickets) booked online, IRCTC issues an electronic ticket with a reference PNR on a successful booking.[12] Electronic tickets can be used for travel along with a valid photo identification and cancellation can be done online.[12][13] For Internet tickets (I-tickets), while the booking is done online, physical tickets are sent to the customer through post.[12]

Reserved tickets may be booked up to 60 days in advance and confirmed reservation tickets will show the passenger and fare details along with berth or seat number(s) allocated to them on the ticket. In case of no confirmed reservation, a wait-list (WL) number is assigned. There are different types of wait-lists depending on the originating and destination stations of the train and the passenger including Roadside Station Waiting List (RSWL) when tickets are booked from the originating station to an intermediate station and Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL) where tickets booked to travel between specific sets of stations are pooled as a single category. A General Waiting List (GNWL) ticket has no such restrictions, and wait-listed tickets get confirmed if there are cancellations of already reserved tickets in the respective categories and get cancelled automatically if seats are not confirmed before the departure of the train.[14] Reservation against cancellation tickets (RAC) is an intermediate category between the waiting and confirmed lists in sleeper classes which allows a ticket holder to board the train and share a berth.[15] Reserved tickets can be booked by passengers who want to travel at short notice at higher fares through the Tatkal quota (TQ), which has a standalone waiting list (TQWL) and no refund is applicable on cancellation of confirmed tickets.[16]

In 2011, IRCTC launched a loyalty program called Shubh Yatra for frequent travelers wherein passengers could avail discounts on all tickets by paying an upfront annual subscription fee.[17] In 2012, IRCTC introduced the Rolling Deposit Scheme (RDS), a type of closed wallet wherein customers can book tickets using money already deposited.[18] In 2013, flight and hotel booking services were added as a part of online reservation services.[19] In 2016, IRCTC launched a lighter version of its website to enable booking at low speed internet connections.[20] On 7 August 2019, IRCTC launched a payment wallet named iMudra.[21][22] On 11 August 2021, IRCTC introduced a smart card system through which unreserved train tickets which can be bought either at railway stations or online.[23] IRCTC provides train and ticketing related information to passengers through SMS.[24]

 
A food plaza run by IRCTC

Catering and hospitality

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IRCTC has exclusive rights for onboard catering of food on all trains operated by the Indian Railways. Pantry cars are attached to long and medium distance trains, where food may be prepared onboard or pre-cooked meals can be served depending on the type of the train and the accommodation class.[25] IRCTC also operates food plazas, cafeterias and refreshment rooms at various railway stations.[26] In 2014, IRCTC launched e-catering services which allowed passengers to order food from private restaurants online or through phone and have it delivered to their seats.[27][28] IRCTC also manages air-conditioned waiting lounges, retiring rooms and budget hotels at major railway stations.[29][30][31] IRCTC launched a bottled water brand "Rail Neer" in 2003, which is sold on trains and railway stations.[32][33][34]

Train operations

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Maharajas' Express, a luxury train operated by IRCTC

IRCTC operates luxury trains such as Maharajas' Express, Deccan Odyssey and other special tourist trains with varied classes.[35] These may include standard coaches, regular coaches with modifications and specially designed coaches with coupes, dedicated cabins and suites.[36]

IRCTC also operates a few express trains in co-ordination with Indian Railways.[37] In 2020, the IRCTC began operating the first private train, a Tejas Express from New Delhi to Lucknow.[38][39] IRCTC also operates the Ahmedabad–Mumbai Central Tejas Express and Kashi Makahal Express.[40]

Travel and insurance

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IRCTC also organizes package tours for domestic and foreign tourists.[41] IRCTC also enables booking of various services including hotel, flight, taxi, and food delivery in co-ordination with third parties through the platform.[42]

IRCTC offers travel insurance for passengers through a third party insurer. In 2018, a security researcher reported that a free travel insurance scheme offered by IRCTC, which caused users on their app to be redirected to a third party insurer, had left the information of approximately 2 lakh passengers exposed for two years.[43][44] In response, IRCTC discontinued the insurance scheme before fixing the vulnerability that had left this data exposed.[45]

Others

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In May 2020, the IRCTC made Aarogya Setu, an app launched by Government of India, to track Covid-19.[46] In May 2020, the app was made mandatory for train travel.[47] In June 2020, the government clarified that downloading the app was optional and not mandatory for train travel after a directive from the Karnataka High Court.[48]

In 2018, IRCTC announced that it is exploring on ways to increase revenues through the utilization of passenger data.[49] This raised concerns on sharing and safety of passenger data stored with IRCTC.[50] During the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protests, IRCTC officials used passenger e-mail data that had been provided to them to book tickets, in order to email pamphlets promoting Government welfare schemes and policies to Sikhs from Punjab.[51] IRCTC officials denied that e-mails were selectively targeted at members of the Sikh community.[52][53]

Patronage

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As of December 2023, there are 66 million registered users with IRCTC with a daily average of 7.31 lakh tickets booked.[2] IRCTC also enables various services in co-ordination with third parties where the same user data is shared.[54]

In 2016, Maharashtra Police reported a potential leak of personal information relating to 10 million users registered with IRCTC.[55] IRCTC set up a committee consisting of officials from the IRCTC and Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to examine the report and declared that the data with IRCTC was safe and some data shared with third parties might have been leaked.[56][57][58][59] In October 2020, passenger data of more than 9 lakh individuals surfaced in dark web with IRCTC denying the leak.[60]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "IRCTC Annual Report FY24" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b "IRCTC ad with us". IRCTC. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited". Business Standard. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Indian Railways: Would you like railways to sell your personal data to a private company?". The Economic Times. 21 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  5. ^ "IRCTC IPO off to a strong start, subscribed 81% amid strong demand from retail on Day 1". Moneycontrol. 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  6. ^ Narayanan, KS Badri (3 October 2019). "With an oversubscription of 112 times, IRCTC's stock offer is a showstopper". Business Line. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  7. ^ "IRCTC Offer For Sale Successful, Government Prunes Stake By 20%". NDTV. 13 December 2020. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  8. ^ Kaur, Avneet (16 December 2020). "11% down in a week, IRCTC share to come down after OFS share allotment: Analysts". mint. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Centre launches IRCTC share offer to raise Rs 4,374 crore". The Indian Express. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Govt to sell 5% of its holding in IRCTC; OFS begins today". The Hindu. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  11. ^ "About IRCTC". IRCTC. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "E ticket and I ticket". Indian Railways. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  13. ^ Provision for carrying proof (PDF) (Report). Indian Railways. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  14. ^ "What do WL, RSWL, PQWL, GNWL on train tickets mean? Know all about railway codes". DNA. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
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  23. ^ "IRCTC Latest News: Now You Can Easily Recharge Smart Cards To Get Unreserved Train Tickets". India News. 11 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
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  25. ^ Pantry car equipment (PDF) (Report). Indian Railways. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
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  27. ^ "IRCTC to resume e-catering services in phases from February". Hindustan Times. 22 January 2021. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
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  29. ^ "IRCTC Railway Retiring Room Booking Online". IRCTC. 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  30. ^ G, Jasjeev (26 February 2018). "New Delhi Railway station: Luxury at railway station you may not know of". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Rly give permission to zonal divisions to decide on reopening of retiring rooms". mint. 3 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  32. ^ Arora, Rajat (23 May 2018). "Indian Railways | Rail Neer: Railways may put Rs 1k crore into 11 new Rail Neer bottling units". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  33. ^ "Can Rail Neer Be The Ace In The Pack For IRCTC As It Navigates Coronavirus Turbulence?". Moneycontrol. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  34. ^ "Railways' bottled water plant goes on stream". The Times of India. 6 May 2003. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Great Rail Journeys". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  36. ^ "About us, Golden chariot". Indian Railways. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  37. ^ Ramachandran, L. L.; Radhakrishan Pillai, R.; Sebastian, M. P. (2018). Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC): Scaling Beyond Ticketing. London: Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode. doi:10.4135/9781529709032. ISBN 978-1-5297-0903-2.
  38. ^ "IRCTC's 'private' Tejas Express to resume services from October 17". The Indian Express. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  39. ^ "Railways' first private train sees strong bookings. Delhi-Lucknow Tejas features". Mint. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  40. ^ Saluja, Nishtha. "Tejas Express: Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to flag off India's second private train on Friday". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  41. ^ "5 most luxurious trains in India". India Today. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  42. ^ "Leaked data is not ours, claims IRCTC". Governance Now. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  43. ^ "Did IRCTC bug leave 2 lakh passengers' information exposed to hackers for 2 years?". Business Today. 12 November 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  44. ^ "How a free travel insurance offer on the Indian Railways website left data of 200,000 passengers exposed to hackers for two years". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  45. ^ Christopher, Nilesh. "IRCTC wakes up after 2 years to fix its security bug". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  46. ^ "Amid data privacy issues Indian Railways makes Aarogya Setu mandatory for passengers". The Statesman. 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  47. ^ "Indian Railways makes Aarogya Setu app mandatory for train travel". The Times of India. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  48. ^ Plumber, Mustafa (12 June 2020). "Aargoya Setu Installation Not Mandatory For Travel By Air, Rail: Centre Tells Karnataka HC". Livelaw. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  49. ^ "IRCTC may let outside entities access your data now". The New Indian Express. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  50. ^ "Threat to privacy: Is your data with IRCTC safe? Former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi has this to say". The Financial Express. 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  51. ^ "Amid protest, Centre reaches out to Sikhs by email through IRCTC". The Times of India. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  52. ^ "IRCTC sends out nearly 2 crore emails in 5 days highlighting Modi's relationship with Sikh community". The Indian Express. 13 December 2020. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  53. ^ "IRCTC sends nearly 2 crore emails in 5 days flagging Narendra Modi's relationship with Sikhs". The Hindu. PTI. 13 December 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  54. ^ "Leaked data is not ours, claims IRCTC". Governance Now. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  55. ^ Mehta, Manthank (5 May 2016). "IRCTC website hacked, information of lakhs feared stolen". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  56. ^ "IRCTC denies data theft reports, sets up probe panel". The Indian Express. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  57. ^ "IRCTC Data Not Leaked, Everything Safe: Officials". NDTV. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  58. ^ "IRCTC hacking: Railways claims no leakage of 'sensitive' data". The Hindu. 5 May 2016. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  59. ^ "IRCTC denies website hack, says everything is safe and secure". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  60. ^ "User data of more than 900,000 leaked from IRCTC last year, resurfaces on dark web". Hindustan Times. 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
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