L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Rolls Out Fully Digital Enabled WhatsApp eTicketing Facility

Industry Outlook Team | Tuesday, 04 October 2022

In line with the Govt. of India’s signature programme of ‘Digital India’ and promoting the green way of commuting, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (L&TMRHL) has become India’s first metro to roll out an end-to-end digital payment-enabled metro ticket booking through WhatsApp eTicketing facility in association with its delivery partner Billeasy, India’s most successful Fintech platform.

After several trials in the past few months, Hyderabad Metro Rail has added the new mode of digital ticket booking via WhatsApp, the popular messenger app, in association with Billeasy and AFC partner, ShellinfoGlobalsg, Singapore for the technology integration. This brand-new service enables the everyday Hyderabad commuter, the option to travel seamlessly in Hyderabad Metro Rail. Commuters can now simply purchase an e-Ticket on their own WhatsApp number, which can be displayed at the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gates to proceed for the journey. This facility is in addition to other digital modes of ticket booking viz. TSavaari and other third-party payment apps.

The process to book the ticket through WhatsApp:

• Initiate a WhatsApp chat by sending a ‘Hi’ message to Hyderabad Metro Rail Phone No. +918341146468 or scan the QR code available at metro stations
•Get an OTP and an eTicket booking URL (valid for 5mins)
•For a contactless digital experience, click the eTicket booking URL to open the E-ticket gateway webpage
•Choose the options of Journey Route & Journey Type and make the payment (Gpay, PhonePe, Paytm & Rupay debit card, etc.)
• Get the metro E-ticket URL on your registered WhatsApp number
• Click the metro E-ticket URL to download the QR E-ticket (valid for one business day)
• Flash the QR E-ticket at the AFC gate and proceed

Speaking on this development, Mr. KVB Reddy, MD & CEO, L&TMRHL, said, “Hyderabad Metro Rail believes in the power of digitalisation. In line with the Digital India mission, we are happy to launch India’s first Metro WhatsApp eTicketing facility with a fully digital payment gateway to elevate our passenger experience and enhance our service excellence. This is also in line with our philosophy to go green. We are thankful to Billeasy and ShellinfoGlobalsg for helping us in this endeavour.”

Mr. Akash Dillip Patil, Founder & MD, Billeasy said, “We are happy to partner with L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad and support our government’s mission of ‘Digital India’. Our team is committed in delivering a greater digital experience of convenience and efficiency along with incorporating NCMC protocols for a connected future. We will continue to work towards the digitization of the transit ecosystem in the country while driving the adoption of digital mobility solutions. Billeasy and HMR are the first across the country to enable online booking of tickets via WhatsApp. This project enables not only us but everyone involved to a great degree of digitalization and innovation. I would urge everyone to use Billeasy QR to scan and punch a ticket on their own.”