In the mid-2000s, India embarked on a journey of digital transformation. Internet access expanded across both urban and rural India and people had begun to book train and airline tickets online. "The need for a similar service for buses was evident," shares Pallavi Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer at redBus, and so, the brand emerged with a mission to harness the power of the internet and revolutionise bus travel. 

Raising The Bar 

Since its inception, redBus has had three major goals: making bus ticket booking convenient, ensuring ticket availability during peak times and expanding opportunities for bus operators. Apart from the benefits it brings to travellers in terms of convenience and feedback, its platform has helped create a level-playing field for small and large bus operators. 

They run a program called Primo, created to help small operators improve revenue, brand recall and consumer loyalty through initiatives like loyalty programs and marketing techniques. "Our initiatives ensure better visibility and support for smaller operators," says Chopra.  

Operators can also leverage redPro, a cloud-based solution that helps operators manage inventory, seat allocation and overall operations efficiently. It also gives them access to other features like live bus tracking, dynamic pricing and customer relationship management tools to optimise revenue and service standards.

While redBus doesn’t own or operate any buses, its role as a marketplace has allowed it to influence service quality, promoting the best practices within the ecosystem. The company’s search algorithm prioritises listings of operators with high customer ratings, ensuring travellers see the best services first. "The average customer rating on our platform has risen from 3.2 to 3.86 in recent years," Chopra notes, underscoring their influence in making bus travel more reliable and appealing.

Their feedback-driven visibility promotes a self-sustaining cycle: operators with excellent service ratings see more bookings and higher occupancy, which allows them to command premium prices, grow profitably and expand their fleets.

Expanding Demographics

redBus has grown to become the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform, with a presence in seven countries, 23 million users and over 180 million tickets sold globally, Chopra tells us. Interestingly, around 62% of its traffic comes from Tier 2 cities and rural areas. "We’re seeing a growing number of women travellers, a cohort that’s increasing at a faster rate than male passengers," she highlights.

The platform primarily caters to students and early jobbers. Students use the service to travel home on weekends, while early jobbers, often working in metros, rely on redBus for frequent business or personal travel.

In 2021, the brand expanded its offerings with redRail, a dedicated platform for booking train tickets in partnership with the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). This move extended the convenience of digital ticketing to train travellers, complementing the company’s core focus on bus services.

The Conversion Strategy 

Understanding India’s diverse cultural landscape, redBus relies on ‘regionification’ to connect with audiences at local levels. "This approach helps tailor campaigns and offerings to align with the unique nuances of each region," says Chopra. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the brand launched 'Travel to Vote' and 'Seat Guarantee' campaigns to meet the real-time needs of users. “Aligning our messaging with elections and emphasising the importance of a hassle-free journey for voters created a real-time relevance, making campaigns resonate with customers at a deeper level.” Using customer feedback, they were able to identify the specific travel requirements of people heading to vote, such as the need for guaranteed seat availability during a peak travel period. 

Another example of their consumer-centricity is their women-specific interface, which enhances safety and convenience. Women can filter search results by punctuality, cleanliness, and staff behaviour and check how many other women are travelling on a particular bus. Operators are also encouraged to offer women-centric deals, making travel more inclusive and secure.

Chopra tells us about their 2023 strategy, implementing a highly localised campaign in Madhya Pradesh ‘redBus ka Maha Pradesh’ incorporating local Gond art and vernacular communication. This marked a major shift in their approach – moving from national campaigns to those that speak directly to the lifestyle, language and travel needs of individual states. 

The transit campaign was rolled out starting with autos in Indore and Bhopal followed by other key cities – Gwalior, Sagar, Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kolkata. By Diwali 2023, redBus branding was visible on 17,800 autos across 12 cities with locally adapted and engaging messaging. 

The Last Stop

The company has even taken their vision internationally, having launched operations in Singapore and Malaysia in 2015 and subsequently in Peru, Colombia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. They score high among the most trusted brands in the country and their customer-first focus has led them to transform the bus travel experience.

Founded in 2006, acquired by the Ibibo Group in 2013 and becoming part of industry giant MakeMyTrip after their Ibibo acquisition in 2017, redBus’ journey has been massive. They met a need and brought efficiency to an industry that was previously fragmented. At the ground level, they created an extensive network, partnering with operators, agencies and government authorities and acquired by the Ibibo Group, taking their growth to the next level with access to greater resources and reach. Their journey reflects how a digital-first approach can bridge gaps and redefine industries.