Tag Archives: Co-founder and CEO

Strengthening its corporate travel segment, Yatra.com has launched a self-booking platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) providing corporate customers with comprehensive and convenient travel solutions. Dhruv Shringi, Co-founder and CEO, Yatra.com says, “Yatra’s latest self-booking platform significantly reinforces our position in the large and growing corporate travel market in India. The platform will revolutionise the way business travellers search and book flights and hotels, ultimately saving both time and money in the process.” The newly launched, easy to use online platform includes a range of enhanced features which will empower the SMEs to automate their process to fulfill end-to-end travel business needs. SMEs shall get curated hotel options, best corporate deals and nil to economical cancellation and rescheduling charges. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) complaint system will allow the user to search through a range of flight and hotel options as per the company travel policy and follow the in-built trip approval process to seek their supervisor’s approval. They shall also have access to real time Management Information System (MIS) reports to enable them to monitor their travel expenses. Furthermore, the invoices will be instantly mailed to the registered email ID. There is also a 24×7 support helpline available for support required on visas, passports, and other offline requests. Using this platform, SMEs can manage their company and employee profiles, travel policy compliance, and approval workflow. “We believe that this technological advanced platform will empower SMEs to control their travel needs, while at the same time making it inherently easier for their employees to make bookings in an easy and convenient manner,” Shringi added.

Travel Agents Association of India- Northern Region has elected Neeraj Malhotra, Co-founder and CEO, Ganpati Travels, as its new Chairman, while Gaurav Dogra, Founder, Plan Your Holiday, is the new Honorary Secretary. Gurdevinder Singh of Bhagwant Travel and Tours has been elected for the position of Treasurer for 2017-19. Malhotra said, “I am thankful to the team of TAAI-NR for their support and faith in me. Going forward, our first agenda is to consolidate the members and also focus on increasing membership during our term. Since our industry is going through tough times with the implementation of GST, we will be conducting various knowledge sessions to address and explain to the members how they can work under this regime. Also in collaboration with various organisations like PHD Chamber of Commerce and CII, we will be holding education seminars for our members to increase the information quotient. We are also looking at offering value additions to our members like education conferences abroad, more familiarisation trips to learn about new destinations and sell them to increase their revenue arm.” TAAI Northern Region also plans to partner with multiple tourism boards to conduct learning sessions for its members.

TravelTriangle has recently raised $10 million in series B funding from RB Investments. Sankalp Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, TravelTriangle, said, “We have grown faster than OTAs in the leisure segment and now fast approaching their scale. With the association with RB Investments in this round we will achieve our vision faster. Our success up till now has been the effort of our super motivated team. As we charter the next phase of growth, my aim is to bring together the best in the industry and make TravelTriangle an employer of choice.” This funding round saw participation from existing investors SAIF Partners and Silicon Valley venture fund Bessemer Venture Partners. Within a year of inception, TravelTriangle had raised an angel funding of Rs 60 lakh from a group of individual investors. It then raised a pre-Series A investment of $1.7 million from SAIF Partners in July 2014 and closed series A financing of $8 million from Bessemer Venture in April 2015. Harshavardhan Bothra from RB Investments, said, “What sets them apart are their operators. We see TravelTriangle marketplace as the key beneficiary of fast-growing outbound holiday market and increasing fragmentation of offline travel agents. Increasing consumers expectations and needs make travel agents and related industry players indispensable which results into great opportunity for TravelTriangle. Upon comparing global companies to determine ideal cost structure and margin profile for market dominance in any country, our conclusion is that TravelTriangle is in a sweet spot.”