Trainman

Trainman, operating under the legal entity Stark Enterprises Private Limited, is a Gurugram-based technology platform focused on the Indian railway travel market. The company was founded in 2014 by Vineet Chirania and Karan Kumar, both alumni of IIT Roorkee, who serve as CEO and CTO respectively. The inspiration to create Trainman stemmed from the challenges passengers face in securing confirmed train tickets in India. Chirania, with a background working at companies like JP Morgan Chase and Ixigo, and Kumar leveraged their technical expertise to address this market need.

The company operates as an authorized IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) partner, providing an online platform for booking train tickets through its website and mobile applications for both iOS and Android devices. The business model is primarily commission-based, earning a fee for each ticket booked through its platform. Additional revenue is generated through services like travel insurance and advertising. Trainman's core service is providing comprehensive information to railway passengers. A key feature is its PNR (Passenger Name Record) status prediction, which analyzes reservation data using a self-learning heuristic model to forecast the probability of a waitlisted ticket getting confirmed. The platform also offers real-time train running status, seat availability, updated schedules, fare calculations, and coach position details.

Financially, Trainman reported revenues of ₹2.53 crore in FY22, a twofold increase from the previous fiscal year, and a turnover of ₹4.51 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal year. The company has secured approximately $1.14 million in funding over two rounds, with a significant seed round of $1 million in July 2022. In a major strategic development, Adani Digital Labs, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, acquired a 29.81% stake in the company in July 2023 for ₹3.56 crore, with an initial announcement stating the intent to acquire 100% of the company. This acquisition is part of Adani's broader strategy to build a comprehensive travel ecosystem within its Adani One super app, integrating Trainman's rail booking capabilities with its existing flight booking and airport services.

Keywords: Indian Railways booking, PNR status prediction, train ticket booking, travel technology, Adani Digital Labs, IRCTC partner, live train status, seat availability, Vineet Chirania, Karan Kumar, railway travel information, online ticketing platform, train schedule, fare calculator, coach position, passenger name record, travel booking app, India travel, rail travel, Adani One