NEW DELHI: Noida International Airport (NIA) today announced a strategic partnership with redBus, the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform, to provide passengers with seamless access to intercity bus services directly from the airport. This is the first of its kind tie-up between a bus mobility platform and an airport in India, enhancing convenience, transparency, and connectivity for consumers. The move supports NIA’s vision of becoming a leading multimodal transport hub for Northern India.

In a huge boost to last-mile connectivity, this partnership will enable connections for more than 20 direct intercity bus services from NIA to key destinations across North India, including Agra, Mathura, Lucknow, Dehradun, and Chandigarh. Passengers will be able to conveniently book their journeys through the redBus platform to and from the airport, with access to a network of high-quality, air-conditioned buses operated by leading bus service providers.

Customers will be able to avail all redBus services, including features such as GPS-enabled live tracking, digital ticketing, and 24×7 customer support, ensuring a reliable and hassle-free travel bus experience directly after de-boarding from flights. To facilitate seamless transfers, there is a bus staging area – a dedicated space for the bus passengers to board and de-board at the airport, and on-ground support staff will be available to give passengers a smooth travel experience.

Christoph Schnellmann, Vice Chairman, Noida International Airport, said, ” At Noida International Airport, we are designing every aspect of the passenger journey with convenience and connectivity in mind. Our partnership with redBus brings together trusted mobility solutions that enable passengers to seamlessly continue their journey beyond the airport. By integrating multiple transportation options directly into the airport experience, we are taking another important step towards building a truly multimodal transport hub for the region.“

Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus, said, “The launch of Noida International Airport marks a significant milestone in strengthening India’s aviation infrastructure in NCR and North India. We are delighted to partner with NIA to enable intercity bus connectivity right at the airport’s doorstep, ensuring that air travellers can seamlessly connect to and from destinations across the region in a comfortable, reliable, and affordable manner. This collaboration reflects our commitment to bridging the last-mile gap, and together, we look forward to setting a new benchmark for integrated, end-to-end travel experiences.”

This initiative is part of NIA’s broader vision to become a truly multimodal transport hub, providing a wide range of connectivity options to suit every traveler’s needs. Seamless connectivity remains a key focus as NIA grows into a major regional hub. The airport is collaborating with the government and other relevant stakeholders to improve access for private vehicles and expand public transportation options. Together, these options will ensure that passengers can travel to and from the airport with ease, efficiency, and flexibility.

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PUNE: Intangles, a global AI-powered predictive intelligence company specialising in the commercial vehicle domain, released an analysis of commercial vehicle performance on the Mumbai-Pune corridor following the opening of the Connecting Link. The analysis indicates that improved corridor movement could generate 2.7 crore litres in potential annual fuel savings, translating into approximately ₹272 crore in annual fuel cost reduction across the corridor stretch.

The estimated fuel savings could also help avoid 64,905 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. Together, the findings point to the wider economic and environmental value of smoother movement on a corridor critical to the Mumbai-Pune-Bangalore route and Maharashtra’s freight and passenger economy.

The analysis recorded performance gains across the four commercial vehicle categories studied: buses, MCV trucks, three-axle vehicles, and multi-axle trucks. MCV trucks recorded the highest increase in average speed at 18%, alongside a 19% reduction in travel time and 17% reduction in fuel consumption. Three-axle vehicles saw the highest reduction in travel time at 20%, while buses achieved the greatest improvement in fuel consumption at 24% per trip. Multi-axle trucks also recorded gains across speed, travel time, and fuel use, indicating that improved corridor movement can create value across heavier vehicle categories too.

Anup Patil, CEO, Intangles, said, “Fuel is a direct measure of operational efficiency, and on a corridor carrying this volume of freight, even modest per-trip savings compound into material economic impact. What this analysis demonstrates is that vehicle data, collected and processed at scale, can quantify infrastructure value in the terms that actually matter to fleet operators: litres saved, minutes recovered, emissions reduced. At Intangles, we build predictive intelligence using our proprietary digital twin technology that helps fleets capture this value continuously, not just when a new road opens, but across every route, every trip, and every vehicle in operation. India’s infrastructure investment is accelerating. It is just a matter of time before the fleets that deploy advanced intelligence will benefit vastly alongside India’s growth story.”

Hariharan Ravishankar, Chief AI Scientist, Intangles, added, “Most infrastructure impact assessments rely on modelled assumptions with fixed consumption rates applied to traffic volumes. What makes this analysis different is that every fuel figure comes from actual vehicle sensor streams, processed through terrain-aware algorithms that account for gradient, load behaviour, and real-time driving patterns. The finding that heavier vehicle categories showed the strongest proportional gains is not intuitive, but it is exactly what physics predicts. Vehicles most constrained by stop-go conditions on steep gradients benefit most when that constraint is removed. As India’s transport infrastructure expands, this kind of sensor-based measurement framework gives planners, operators, and policymakers something they have not had before: infrastructure ROI expressed in operating terms, not projections.”

The analysis also observed an early reduction in hard braking events across the commercial vehicle categories studied. While these findings require longer-term tracking before conclusions can be drawn on sustained safety impact, they provide an early indication of improved driving conditions on the stretch under consideration.

Methodology

The analysis tracked 1,849 unique commercial vehicles across buses, MCV trucks, 3-axle vehicles, and multi-axle trucks, covering more than 2,200 trips through the ghat section of the Mumbai-Pune corridor. Vehicle performance was compared across two periods: 26 to 30 April 2026, before the Connecting Link opening, and 2 to 15 May 2026, after the opening, allowing one day for traffic stabilisation. Speed and travel time were measured through GPS and geo-location data. Fuel consumption for the assessed commercial vehicle categories was derived using Intangles’ proprietary algorithms based on terrain analysis and real-time driving patterns.

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INDIA: Due to continuing international airspace constraints leading to significantly increased flight duration and a challenging cost environment, IndiGo is having to temporarily discontinue its flight operations to and from Manchester with effect from 31 August 2026. Consequent to this decision, the airline plans to return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, taken on damp/wet lease, to Norse Atlantic Airways. IndiGo will continue to operate all its remaining long-haul flights as planned.

IndiGo had damp-leased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways in early 2025. The objective behind this project was to make strategic inroads to establish the IndiGo brand in the European market, ahead of the commencement of services using its own Airbus A350 aircraft. However, the airline has since experienced a significant impact of prevailing industry‑wide challenges, including geopolitical developments in the Middle East, rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs, severe airspace constraints, and foreign exchange volatility, resulting in operating costs being considerably higher than originally envisaged.

Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President – Network Planning & Revenue Management, IndiGo, said, “We inducted these wide-body aircraft on a short-term basis to fast-track our connectivity to high-potential long-haul destinations such as Manchester, and witnessed very encouraging demand response. It is, therefore, unfortunate that longer flying times due to airspace constraints, coupled with dramatically escalating costs, compelled us to decide to temporarily discontinue our India – Manchester services. We would like to thank our customers, trade partners in India and the UK, and Manchester Airport for their amazing support. The response and support for these services have reinforced our belief in the opportunity for IndiGo’s long-haul ambitions, and this discontinuation is temporary in nature. We look forward to serving this route again at the earliest viable opportunity and are exploring innovative solutions to continuing our collaboration with Norse Atlantic Airways.”

IndiGo will notify affected customers in advance and assist them with all possible options, including alternate travel arrangements or refunds, where applicable.

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The launch was marked by a formal ceremony held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, attended by H.E. Dr. Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), and representatives from the Reserve Bank of India. The event marked the official launch of the first phase of cross-border QR payment linkage between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of India.

Indian users can now scan Bakong’s KHQR, Cambodia’s standard and interoperable QR code system, at over 4.5 million merchant outlets to make secure and seamless QR-based payments across tourist attractions, restaurants, retail outlets, and other establishments using their UPI-enabled apps. In the subsequent phase, Cambodian visitors to India will benefit from acceptance at millions of UPI QR‑enabled merchant locations across the country, using their Cambodian payment/Banking apps, thereby establishing a two-way interoperable payment corridor between the two countries.

This initiative is expected to deliver smooth, real‑time, and interoperable digital transaction capabilities, strengthening efficiencies across payments in the India and Cambodia Payment Corridor. In the first phase, merchants in Cambodia will gain access to a large Indian customer base, while benefiting from improved cash management and reduced dependence on physical currency, enabling greater operational efficiency.

By facilitating trusted cross‑border digital payment options, the collaboration will enhance convenience for travellers while strengthening tourism and commercial engagement between the two countries.

Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO, NPCI International, said, “At NPCI International, we aim to extend India’s digital payment innovations to global markets through trusted partnerships. Enabling UPI acceptance in Cambodia marks a significant milestone in this journey. It ensures that Indian travellers enjoy a familiar, secure, and seamless payment experience abroad, while Cambodian merchants gain access to millions of digital-first consumers. This collaboration not only strengthens real-time payment connectivity between our two ecosystems but also lays the groundwork for deeper tourism and commercial engagement.”

Dr. In Channy, President & Group Managing Director, stated: “ACLEDA Bank Plc. is proud to launch Phase 1 of our cross-border interoperability initiative, enabling Indian travellers to execute secure digital transactions via UPI-enabled applications across our extensive KHQR merchant network. This partnership represents a significant achievement in our digital transformation roadmap.

By integrating the payment gateways of Cambodia and India, we are removing transactional friction and foreign exchange volatility for travellers. This synergy empowers local merchants by providing direct access to a high-velocity digital market, optimizing liquidity management, and enhancing operational throughput via secure, real-time settlement protocols. Ultimately, this collaboration drives financial inclusion and strengthens the bilateral economic corridor through robust, scalable technology.”

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TEANECK, N.J.: Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is working with Travelport on a strategic AI transformation that will deploy Anthropic’s Claude to modernize the way Travelport builds, tests, and maintains software across its travel retailing and distribution platforms. The collaboration aims to accelerate the delivery of AI-led innovation to airlines, hoteliers, travel management companies, and online travel agencies worldwide, while embedding AI features within Travelport’s platform.

Booking systems built for a previous era now strain to keep up: agency costs have grown as human agents increasingly piece together complex itineraries manually, and a gap has opened between how travelers now search using AI tools and what current platforms can interpret and fulfill. This collaboration will address these structural challenges through intelligent infrastructure designed to close the gap between AI-driven travel intent and a confirmed booking.

For travel agencies and travel management companies (TMC), Travelport’s platform will absorb more of the cognitive work agents currently do manually, including surfacing relevant options faster, automating exchanges and rebooking, and embedding disruption intelligence into workflows. For example, an agent managing a business traveler could surface routes with statistically lower disruption risk. Travelport’s customers indicate that saving even one hour per agent per day across a large TMC translates into millions of dollars in annual productivity improvement.

For online travel agencies, the challenge is structural: travelers increasingly use AI tools to plan trips, but transactional systems cannot interpret the richness of their intent. Travelport’s MCP-based architecture will allow conversational traveler requests to translate directly into confirmed bookings with live availability, converting that capability gap into a real commercial opportunity.

“The travel industry runs on some of the most complex technology infrastructure in the world, and the companies that will lead it forward are the ones investing now in how that infrastructure gets built,” said Ravi Kumar S, CEO of Cognizant. “This collaboration is about giving Travelport the tools to move faster and deliver higher quality at scale to meet the challenge of a changing travel distribution landscape. That’s what the AI Builder model is designed to do.”

“AI is not a future consideration; it is happening now, and the companies that move fastest and most intelligently will define the next era of travel technology,” said John Mangelaars, CEO of Travelport. “Collaborating with Cognizant and Anthropic gives us a genuine AI superpower. Anthropic brings the most capable AI models and tools; Cognizant adds engineering talent and development capability to deploy them at scale; and Travelport brings the travel infrastructure and the partner network that connects it all to the real world of distribution and bookings.”

“Anthropic also developed MCP, the protocol that lets AI agents interact directly with external systems and data,” Mangelaars added. “Choosing the organization that invented that protocol was a straightforward decision. Their approach to safety, reliability, and controllability matters as much: travel is a high-trust environment where data is sensitive, and the consequences of errors are real.”

This is not a limited pilot. The ambition is to work with Cognizant and Anthropic to transform how Travelport builds at scale. The initial focus is Travelport Trip Services, the platform that handles bookings, exchanges, refunds, and servicing, with the MCP-based interface layer above it. The work is being built on Travelport’s cloud-native platform, with a major release imminent. The first customer-facing capabilities are expected to reach the market this year.

“What Travelport aims to do with Cognizant reflects what modernization can look like in a complex industry. Reasoning across large, complex codebases is where Claude is at its best — and that’s exactly what travel infrastructure demands. We’re proud to support Cognizant as a trusted partner in bringing Claude to more enterprises,” said Rich O’Connell, Head of Alliances, Anthropic.

Cognizant integrates Claude within its engineering platforms and delivery processes, including Neuro-san, the open-source library behind Cognizant’s Neuro^® AI multi-agent accelerator. Claude will power AI-assisted code development, test creation and pull-request review. Its large context window analyzes Travelport’s codebases and surfaces embedded business logic at scale, one of the most technically demanding elements of enterprise modernization. Together, these capabilities are expected to meaningfully reduce Travelport’s software delivery cycle times.

The work with Travelport reflects Cognizant’s AI Builder strategy: bringing industry context, end-to-end systems integration, and day-to-day operational accountability to help enterprises move from AI experimentation to production at scale. Anthropic is a nodal partner within Cognizant’s global AI ecosystem, and this work extends the strategic partnership between Cognizant and Anthropic that was announced in November 2025.

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SAN FRANCISCO: Air India, India’s leading global airline, today announced the opening of its newest signature lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), called ‘The Maharaja Lounge’. Officially opening its doors to guests on May 23, the launch of the new lounge marks yet another pivot in the ongoing transformation of the airline’s product and service, extending the “new Air India experience” to one of its key international gateways.

Located near Gate A1 in the International Terminal at SFO, The Maharaja Lounge is spread over 3,300 sq. ft. and features luxurious, contemporary interiors that blend modern design sensibilities with elements rooted in Indian aesthetics. The lounge offers a seating capacity of 80 guests and is available to Air India’s First and Business Class guests, and Platinum and Gold members of the airline’s Maharaja Club loyalty program. It also features a dedicated zone reserved exclusively for Air India’s First Class guests.

Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, said: “The opening of the Maharaja Lounge at San Francisco builds on the recent launch of our flagship lounge at Delhi, marking the beginning of a new generation of signature lounges for Air India. North America has long been a key pillar of Air India’s network, and our continued investments reflect both this commitment and our ambition to introduce a new standard of travel experiences in the region in the time to come.

As Air India continues to transform into a world-class global airline, we are focused on delivering a consistent, elevated experience across our network, blending modern luxury with the warmth and timeless appeal of Indian hospitality.”

Conceptualised by the award-winning global hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), The Maharaja Lounge is a refined expression of heritage seamlessly woven with luxury, offering guests an immersive introduction to India even before their journey begins. It mirrors the design philosophy of the recently launched flagship Maharaja Lounge in Delhi, positioning this as the second in a series of signature lounges envisioned by Air India.

Design approach

Thoughtfully curated, the space brings together distinctive elements of the brand and Air India’s rich cultural legacy, creating an atmosphere that is warmly familiar yet exquisite. The hues of champagne, ivory, and deep reds mirror the brand’s colour palette. Brand motifs are integrated throughout the interiors, including the ‘Vista’ patterns on the walls and furniture. The lounge has been designed to evoke the essence of quintessential Indian hospitality, creating an atmosphere of warmth, comfort, and understated luxury for guests. To honour the airline’s historical connection to the arts, the space features works by local artists that showcase regional heritage. Select installations also incorporate upcycled aircraft components, thoughtfully reimagined into contemporary art pieces.

The spatial elegance of the lounge is defined by the following curated zones, each designed to uplift the interior landscape.

The Aviator’s Bar: The bar has a distinctive speakeasy vibe, anchored by a well-curated cellar of wines and whiskies hand-picked for the discerning traveller. The warm, rich hues of the space, coupled with the signature ceiling design, provide a sophisticated backdrop where aviation enthusiasts and global travellers alike can convene in an atmosphere of timeless elegance.

Complementing this is a menu of thoughtfully crafted signature cocktails. For instance, the Maharaja Manhattan is a regal twist on the timeless Manhattan, honouring the Maharaja of spices – black pepper.

Tarmac View: The seating and dining sections of the Private Zone and the Business Class lounge overlook the tarmac, offering enchanting views of aircraft taking off and landing. The immersive experience of ‘wine and dine with a view’ is perfect for both plane-spotters and curious travellers.

Social Zone: Adjacent to the Aviator’s Bar is the lounge’s primary social zone, a space meticulously designed to foster a sense of community. This vibrant area captures the dynamic spirit of modern travel, offering an environment for guests to engage and connect. Configured to accommodate the natural “hustle” of a premier international hub, the seating arrangements encourage both spontaneous conversation and group interaction, while still offering pockets of privacy and a sense of exclusivity for more intimate moments.

Dining Area: The Maharaja Lounge offers a curated and delightful dining experience for all guests, who can choose from a wide variety of Indian and international culinary delicacies, including live cooking stations. The area includes a hot buffet island/counter, a cold counter, and a beverage station serving a host of delicacies to choose from.

Private Zone: Tucked into a serene corner of the lounge, this space is a sanctuary of understated luxury. Designed for heightened privacy and comfort, the Private Zone offers a more intimate setting with elevated service, allowing guests travelling First Class to relax, work, or unwind in a calm and discreet environment before their departure.

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Introducing car rentals, grocery delivery, airport pickups, exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026 Experiences, boutique hotels, and more, making your entire trip even better

PUNE: Last year, we expanded Airbnb beyond homes with the launch of Airbnb Experiences and Airbnb Services. For the first time, you could book a place to stay, explore a city with a local, and have a private chef cook you dinner, all on Airbnb. Since then, millions of people around the world have done exactly that.

“Travel shouldn’t just be convenient. It should be meaningful. The best trips help you explore, learn, and come home a little different than when you left. That’s what we’re building at Airbnb. And this summer, we’re giving people even more ways to do it — from incredible places to stay and boutique hotels that feel like Airbnb, to unforgettable World Cup experiences and services that make your trip easier,” said Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb.

New Airbnb Services to make every part of the trip easier

A great stay starts before you check in. That’s why we’re adding new services for every part of your trip — from the moment you land to the moment you leave. This is just the beginning of new services guests can book on Airbnb this year.

Grocery delivery – Have groceries waiting at your Airbnb when you arrive, or order them any time during your trip. In select cities, hosts can even receive the order and pre-stock your home before you check in. Airbnb guests get $0 delivery and $10 off an order of $50 or more^[1]. Available in over 25 US cities in partnership with Instacart.

Airport pickups – Book a private car service to and from your Airbnb, through Welcome Pickups. Your driver tracks your flight and meets you curbside when you arrive, and Airbnb guests get 20% off every ride^[2]. Now available in over 160 cities worldwide.

Luggage storage – Store your bags before check-in or after checkout through our partnership with Bounce. View nearby drop-off locations in the app, and see exactly how far they are from your listing. Airbnb guests get 15% off^[3] and access to over 15,000 locations in 175 cities.

Car rentals – Nearly a quarter of Airbnb guests rent a car during their stay^[4]. Starting this summer, you can discover rental cars directly in the app. We’ll show vehicles near your listing and suggest the right car for your group. The first time you rent a car on Airbnb, you’ll get 20% credit back toward your next stay, experience, or select services.

Experiences you can only get on Airbnb

Guests love Airbnb Experiences, rating them 4.93 out of 5 stars on average^[5]. This summer, we’re adding thousands more experiences led by local experts across the categories travelers want most: landmarks, food culture, and events.

Landmarks, the Airbnb way – More than 75% of travelers visit a landmark when they travel to a new city^[6]. Now you can see the world’s most famous places with local experts who know them inside out. We now have more than 3,000 landmark experiences — from the Tower of London to the Tokyo Skytree and the Taj Mahal.

Food culture – We’re offering more than 2,500 food culture experiences that give you behind-the-scenes access to the chefs, markets, and food that define a place. Through partnerships with Chef’s Table and Grand Central Market, you can join Chef Gianfranco Pascucci of the Michelin-starred Pascucci al Porticciolo in Rome for a 6-course food and wine pairing experience, or mix cocktails at Paris’s De Vie, one of the world’s best bars.

FIFA World Cup 2026 – We’re offering once-in-a-lifetime FIFA World Cup experiences across six host cities. Join World Cup Champions Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy for an intimate watch party in LA as the USA takes on Australia. Or step onto the pitch to train with Argentine football icon and former manager of Inter Miami, Javier Mascherano.

^[1] Offer available in select US cities only; limited time offer on qualifying orders; while supplies last until 6/30/2026. Terms and fees apply.

^[2] Offer available in select cities. Excludes taxes and fees. Terms apply.

^[3] Offer available in select cities. Excludes taxes and fees.

[4] Based on Airbnb survey data from April 25 to April 30, 2024, of 2,752 respondents in the US, CA, UK, AU

^[5] Based on internal Airbnb global data between May 13, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

[6] Based on a Q4 2024 survey of travelers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and India

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GURUGRAM: MakeMyTrip, India’s leading online travel company, today shared observations from Myra, its Gen-AI powered Trip Planning Assistant, pointing to an emerging behavioural trend in how Indian travellers are beginning to interact via voice. While Myra’s user base is still growing and now delivers more than 50,000 conversations daily, the initial data suggests that voice is beginning to enable a more expressive, contextual, and linguistically inclusive form of travel discovery, one that is different from how users search via text.

How Voice and Text Queries Are Beginning to Diverge

Even in early usage patterns, the contrast between how users type and speak their travel intent is visible. The majority of text searches are in the neighbourhood of 3-4 words, compressed and keyword-driven, such as “Goa hotels cheap” or “Delhi Mumbai flight.” Voice queries are beginning to look considerably different. Nearly 23% of voice queries exceed 11 words, compared to just 7% in text, as users tend to naturally articulate destination proximity, amenities, budget, group size, and dates within a single spoken interaction. For instance, “Show me affordable hotels in North Goa near the beach with a pool” or “2 adults and one kid, 3 nights from 14th January, budget under ₹15,000 per night.”,

Across several query categories, early data points to voice being used noticeably higher than text. Date-specific queries show the most pronounced difference, at 3.3x higher on voice, with users naturally saying “26th December to 29th” or “next Friday to Sunday” rather than typing compressed date formats.

Informational queries, where users are looking for guidance or explanation around certain processes or services, are indexing 2.7x higher on voice, suggesting that users are beginning to turn to conversational assistance for questions beyond transactional search. Examples include, in Hindi, “सऊदी का वीज़ा कैसे मिलेगा?” (How to get a Saudi visa); in Kannada, “ಜಪಾನ್‌ಗೆ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುವ ಮೊದಲು ಯಾವ ದಾಖಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಸಿದ್ಧಪಡಿಸಬೇಕು?” (What documents should be prepared before going on a Japan trip?); in Marathi, “कोल्हापूर ते दिल्ली जाण्यासाठी कोणती ट्रेन आहे व किती दिवस लागतात आणि ती कोणकोणत्या वारी असते?” (Which train is available to travel from Kolhapur to Delhi, how many days does it take, and on what days of the week does it run?); in Malayalam, എനിക്ക് ആനയിൽ നിന്ന് കൊച്ചിയിലേക്കുള്ള തത്കാല ടിക്കറ്റ് തിങ്കളാഴ്ച ഉള്ള ടിക്കറ്റ് ആണ് വേണ്ടത്. അതിന് വേണ്ടി ഞാൻ എന്താണ് ചെയ്യേണ്ടത് (I need Tatkal ticket from Anai to Kochi for Monday. What should I do for that?); and in Tamil, “வீல் சேர் எப்படி புக் பண்ணனும்னு சொல்லு?” (Tell me how to book a wheelchair?).

Location-specific queries account for 25.1% of all voice searches and index 1.5x higher on voice than text, with users naturally expressing proximity in phrases such as “near beach,” “walking distance from Golden Temple etc. Similar patterns are visible across languages. For instance, in

Bengali, “হ্যালো মাইরা এটা এই হোটেলটা গুয়াহাটি রেল স্টেশন থেকে কতদূর” (How far is this hotel from Guwahati railway station); and in Telugu, “గోవా బాగా దగ్గరలో తక్కువ రేట్లు మంచి రూమ్స్ కావాలి” (Need good rooms at low rates very close to Goa).

Voice Is Opening Up Travel Search Across India

One of the more telling early signals in the data is how voice is beginning to enable users to search in the language they naturally think and speak. While English dominates text searches, voice interactions are considerably more linguistically diverse, with English representing far lower % of voice queries. The gap points to something simple: users who are most comfortable in their own language are gravitating towards voice. For example, for Malayalam, voice trumps text by 46 to 1; for Tamil, this ratio is 36:1, and for Telugu, 32:1.

For users who found typing a barrier, the shift is less about technology and more about expression. Voice lets them describe exactly what they want, in their own words, without compression. Code-mixed users, who blend Hindi and English, are among the most expressive in early observations, averaging 10.5 words per query. A search like “Manali mein 3 nights ke liye hotel chahiye with mountain view and breakfast” captures nuance and preference in a single breath, something that text search has rarely accommodated.

“What we are beginning to see through Myra is encouraging. Voice is starting to give a new set of users, those who are most comfortable in their own language, a more natural way to search and plan travel. For someone in Kochi or Coimbatore who thinks in Malayalam or Tamil, being able to simply speak their requirements, rather than type them in English, changes the experience meaningfully. It is still early, but these initial signals point to voice having the potential to make travel planning more inclusive and accessible across India,” said Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.

Premium Travellers and Multi-Constraint Queries

Early data also points to premium and elite traveller segments using much longer sentences while using voice on Myra, often combining star category, amenities, group size, and budget into a single spoken request. For example: “5-star villa in North Goa with private pool, 6 bedrooms, for 8 adults under ₹50K per night.” While these highly layered, multi-constraint queries represent a smaller share of total searches, they offer an early indication of how voice may be better suited to capturing complex travel intent than keyword-based text search.

MakeMyTrip has been deeply invested in AI and machine learning for several years, embedding intelligence across the travel lifecycle.  From inspiration and discovery to search, booking, and post-sales support, AI is integrated at every stage. These proprietary models, built on large language architectures and rich travel-intent data, power Myra. The AI Trip planning Assistant now facilitates over 50,000 conversations daily across multiple languages, including Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and English. More than 45% of queries on Myra are coming from Tier-2 and smaller cities.

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Jamnagar is a key driver of Gujarat’s industrial growth, with strong contributions across energy, petrochemicals, ports, and manufacturing. The new service will strengthen the city’s linkages with major economic hubs through Navi Mumbai, unlocking new opportunities for trade, investment, and regional development.

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, said, “Following the recent addition of Bhavnagar to IndiGo’s growing domestic network, we are pleased to announce direct, daily connectivity between Jamnagar and Navi Mumbai. This new route further strengthens our presence in western India and enhances connectivity to and from Gujarat. With this addition, IndiGo now flies to six airports in Gujarat, namely Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and now also Jamnagar. This new service underscores IndiGo’s continued commitment to expand its domestic footprint by linking key regional centres with major metros, while consistently delivering a reliable, seamless, and efficient travel experience.”

Schedule of Flights Between Jamnagar and Navi Mumbai, Effective 23 April 2026

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Flamingo’s popular international and domestic group travel packages, which are currently sold largely through 51 offices across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, will complement MakeMyTrip’s established Holiday Packages business and help the platform penetrate deeper into markets across India.

Commenting on the acquisition, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, “Flamingo aligns closely with the growth strategy of our Holiday Packages business. It is a strong, growing business that has developed a unique moat in the group travel domain. We plan to leverage the complementary customer base, products, and distribution focus between the two brands to widen holiday package options for our customers.”

Mohit Kabra, Group Chief Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip, said, “We believe that our proposed acquisition of Flamingo creates a profitable growth opportunity to help MakeMyTrip drive a deeper presence in regional markets across India.”

Commenting on this, Sanjay Shah, Director and Co-Founder of Flamingo Transworld, said, “For over three decades, Flamingo has built something unique in Indian travel, genuine trust. From chef-led tours to regional language guides, the brand has grown by going deeper. By combining Flamingo’s brand equity and operational depth with MakeMyTrip’s digital platform and national customer reach, we aim to build a truly pan-India tour company that brings Flamingo’s signature experience to millions of new customers.”

MakeMyTrip has taken a calibrated approach to inorganic growth, steadily strengthening its presence across key travel segments. Recent strategic acquisitions, including QuestToTravel in corporate travel bookings, Simplotel in hotel technology, BookMyForex in travel forex, Savaari in intercity mobility, and Happay in corporate spend management, have expanded its capabilities across leisure, corporate, and ancillary travel. These moves have enhanced supply integration, cross-sell potential, and end-to-end control across the connected trip journey, reinforcing MakeMyTrip’s position as a full-stack travel services platform. We expect our proposed acquisition of Flamingo to further contribute to this growth.

Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains certain statements concerning the Company’s future growth prospects and forward-looking statements, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections about the Company and its industry. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “aim”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “is/are likely to”, “intend”, “may”, “potential”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “seek”, “will”, or other similar expressions. Such statements include, among other things, quotations from management as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Several important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, a slow-down of economic growth in India and the global economic downturn, general declines or disruptions in the travel industry, volatility in the trading price of the Company’s shares, the Company’s reliance on its relationships with travel suppliers and strategic alliances, failure to further increase the Company’s brand recognition to obtain new business partners and consumers, failure to compete against new and existing competitors, failure to successfully manage current growth and potential future growth, risks associated with any strategic investments or acquisitions, seasonality in the travel industry in India and overseas, failure to successfully develop the Company’s corporate travel business, damage to or failure of the Company’s infrastructure and technology, loss of services of the Company’s key executives, and inflation in India and in other countries. These and other factors are more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s 20-F dated June 16, 2025, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this release is provided as of the date of issuance of this release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

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