Q] You have onboarded Rohit Sharma as your brand ambassador. What was the reason behind this pick?
We aimed to target regions like UP, Bihar, and Delhi and sought a well-known figure in these areas. After considering cricket and films, we shortlisted several names. Some were eliminated due to existing brand commitments, while others didn’t align with our criteria. Ultimately, we finalised Rohit Sharma, recognising his proven status as a top performer. Discussions went smoothly, and once his availability for the shoot was confirmed, everything fell into place.
Q] The campaign shows Rohit rapping about the features of the app. What was the creative process like?
We collaborated with Ogilvy on a train-themed ad but couldn’t find a suitable location in Mumbai, so we built a train set. The goal was to make the 50-second ad engaging, with shorter edits for other platforms. After multiple script revisions, we finalised one that suited both us and Rohit, the star of the campaign. Directed by Rajesh of Coconut Films, the shoot was executed smoothly in short timelines. Ensuring Rohit’s comfort was a priority, from security to customised scripts and costumes. Post-production included refining the music with a talented singer, resulting in a polished and successful campaign.
Q] What does your marketing mix look like?
Ixigo Trains launched its first-ever branding campaign, aiming to make a strong impact from the get-go. The app had already gained popularity for non-transactional uses, like tracking trains, but the goal was to build trust and encourage users to start transacting directly on the platform. To make this happen, we brought on Rohit as our celebrity ambassador, knowing he would help drive the campaign’s reach. We allocated budgets for branding, marketing, and performance efforts, with a special focus on targeted regions. Starting in January 2025, our ads appeared across TV, YouTube, and other channels, while we also went big offline, with hoardings up at key locations like New Delhi and Prayagraj railway stations. This 360-degree campaign was designed to grow our market share and bring more people onto the platform, especially in the regions we targeted.
Q] What are you doing to stay ahead of the competition?
In the train booking space, we have two brands: ConfirmTkt, which is popular in the southern part of India, and Ixigo Trains, which has a stronger presence in the north. Our primary focus from the start has been ensuring that our product stands out. Once we have a superior product, we can confidently market it, demonstrating why ours is better than the competition. In regions like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, offline bookings are still prevalent, so we need to encourage people to gain confidence in transacting online. Over the past few years, the rise of UPI apps and e-commerce has helped drive these transactions. In the private ticket booking space, the combined share of Ixigo and ConfirmTkt is nearly three times that of our next closest competitor. There’s still significant growth potential, even in the offline space. We also see a lot of cross-selling; customers who book train tickets often return for flights, bus tickets, and hotel bookings. This creates a long-term journey for us. We aim to build relationships with customers not just for train travel but as their go-to for all types of travel bookings. We’re in an investment phase and view this as a long-term roadmap.
Q] What are the different ways in which you are leveraging AI?
AI is embedded across various areas of our operations, particularly in customer support. Our platform, Tara, resolves 80% of queries and continues to improve itself. Ixigo Echo processes 3,000 daily calls, ranking the most critical ones for attention, helping the quality team focus on priority issues. We also use Ixigo Agent to collect post-checkout feedback from customers in Hindi. Our goal is to automate inbound calls fully. AI drives content creation, with most social media and marketing posts generated by AI, while humans provide ideas. We also use AI for predictive analytics, pricing strategies, and boosting developer productivity.
Q] What are your goals for the future?
Together, as a team, we work on our annual as well as yearly plans. After onboarding Rohit as our brand ambassador, it is now our goal to make sure Ixigo Train stand out. We are building our identity step by step, with the goal of reaching the consideration phase over time. Once awareness is established, it will naturally progress. As I have mentioned before, this is a long-term strategy, and we’re taking it one step at a time. The growth has been solid, with a healthy 25-30% quarter-on-quarter increase, which is a great result. We want to continue growing at this pace.
