ixigo, India’s leading online travel platform, is doubling down on artificial intelligence and strategic cricket associations to outpace rivals in the nation’s $23 billion travel industry. As competition from players like MakeMyTrip and Goibibo intensifies, ixigo is blending cutting-edge tech with high-impact marketing to connect with a new wave of Indian consumers.

Central to ixigo’s strategy is an array of AI-powered tools. Its trip‑planning assistant, PLAN, launched in July 2023 atop OpenAI models, has generated over 280,000 itineraries and engaged more than 1.5 million users. Integrated into ixigo’s native apps and as a ChatGPT plugin, PLAN offers context-aware, personalized itineraries complete with real-time factors like weather, cultural interests, and travel timing. The platform’s multilingual voice assistant, Tara, handles nearly 87% of customer queries across English and Hindi, even detecting user emotions to deliver empathetic responses—enhancing both speed and conversational fidelity.

ixigo’s AI investment extends beyond planning. The “Assured” dynamic insurance product—backed by AI—automates cancellations across flights, buses, and trains, doubling convenience for users. During travel disruptions, ixigo’s algorithms modulate pricing and availability proactively, offering optimized re-booking routes for impacted users.

AI has propelled operational success: ixigo achieved an all-time high FY25 profit and revenue, with flight and bus transactions surging by 92%, and overall GTV climbing 65% in Q4—driven largely by Tier II and III city users.

To broaden its appeal, ixigo has embraced cricket, India’s most popular sport. Partnerships with IPL teams and campaigns featuring star cricketer Rohit Sharma—who appears as a rapping “Ticket Man”—have boosted brand visibility across linear and digital media. These tie-ups, featuring emotionally resonant and culturally attuned messaging, are designed to engage deepened national interest during cricket seasons.

ixigo’s brand positioning has become increasingly sector-specific. It operates segmented services—ixigo Flights, ixigo Trains, ConfirmTkt, and AbhiBus—each tailored with focused communications and incentives. This vertical-brand strategy ensures relevance across user demographics from small-town travelers to cosmopolitan planners.

Industry data underscores the rationale: India’s OTA market is expected to grow at nearly 8% CAGR to $34 billion by 2030. App adoption surged sharply post-pandemic—92% for travel and 84% for airlines—fueling a 26% spike in OTA downloads during 2023.

Rajnish Kumar, co‑CEO, describes ixigo’s mission as “building travel tech for the next billion Indians,” making travel planning intuitive, inclusive, and affordable. By combining machine-learned trip planners, voice automation, dynamic pricing, and emotionally attuned branding, ixigo aims to convert growing travel demand into retained loyalty and scalable growth.

In summary, ixigo is forging a new travel industry paradigm—anchored in AI and amplified by cricket’s cultural resonance. As India emerges as one of the world’s largest digital travel markets, ixigo’s dual-engine growth strategy of tech innovation and mass engagement positions it to not just compete, but lead.