Google Maps to integrate Metro ticket booking in India, enhancing travel convenience

Google is making travelling in India even more convenient by allowing users to book metro tickets directly through its popular Google Maps app. This integration is part of Google's ongoing collaboration with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), India's open eCommerce network.

Bikram Singh Bedi, the Managing Director of Google Cloud India, recently announced this exciting development during the Google for India event on Thursday. Users will soon be able to book metro tickets right from their Google Maps app. Google's collaboration with ONDC has been growing, and it's not just about metro tickets.

Today, @GoogleMaps is also announcing a collaboration with @ONDC_Official to facilitate metro ticket bookings on the app 🚆
This feature will roll out in the next few months across metros, as the service partners get integrated on the ONDC network. pic.twitter.com/iyBLqnqV6j

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) October 19, 2023

Emphasis on partnerships

Google highlighted the importance of partnerships in driving these initiatives, emphasising collaboration with the government, financial institutions, startups, and other stakeholders.

Google has already taken significant steps to support sellers entering the open network. They launched an accelerator programme aimed at making ONDC infrastructure and core APIs accessible to sellers.

Google Cloud's generative AI tools are now available to both buyers and sellers in the ONDC ecosystem. This means that the power of AI is at the fingertips of those using this open network.

The importance of collaboration

Google highlights that partnerships with various stakeholders, including the government, the financial ecosystem, startups, and others, are crucial to making these initiatives a reality. Working together, they aim to bring convenience and innovation to the lives of Indian users.

WhatsApp, a Meta-owned app, has also introduced a similar feature for metro ticket bookings in Bengaluru and Delhi. This feature provides end-to-end ticket booking and payment support in partnership with city metro train corporations.

With Google and WhatsApp efforts, metro travel in India is becoming more accessible and user-friendly than ever before. These digital solutions promise to enhance the convenience of daily commutes for millions of Indians.