MakeMyTrip begins Indian operations

Leading online travel company MakeMyTrip.com began its Indian operations on Tuesday with the launch of a website that offers booking of air tickets, hotels, car rentals, holiday packages and road trips within and from India.

Announcing the launch, Deep Kalra, CEO of MakeMyTrip.com said the entry timing is just right as all airlines are increasingly focusing on online booking. ‘‘SpiceJet has 80 per cent its tickets booked online. And 63 per cent of Air Deccan’s booking is done online. With the entry of new carriers, the Indian online travel market, which is worth $217 million, will only grow further,’’ he told reporters.

The company may have been servicing NRIs from the US to India till recently, but the reputation earned there will hold it in good stead in India, Kalra said. Besides, the website also has a ‘lowest airfare guarantee’ scheme wherein if a customer finds a fare lower than the one offered, the company will return the difference, he said.