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Share market enthusiasts in India can’t stop raving about a new kid on the block-- the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, IRCTC in short. In just the opening day, the stock more than doubled the wealth of those who bought shares in the initial public offering (IPO) that concluded recently. This was the best single-day gain for any stock on its debut in the last two years in India. But the signs were visible even before. Early investors wanted 112 times the number of shares offered in the IPO, in a price band of ₹315 to ₹320. The government raised a little less than $100 million from the IPO. Yet, the fact remains that the company has only client, its parent Indian Railways, but at the same time it has a monopoly that is rarely matched. It's a bit like a guy who started a business whose only client is his father. There was unmistakable excitement during the <keyword id="4194140" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRCTC-IPO">IRCTC IPO</keyword> and why not! The company had a revenue of nearly ₹19,000 crore (nearly $2.7 billion) in the financial year ending March 2019-- clocking over 22% growth in revenue during the year. Irctc.com had an average of 25 million to 28 million transactions per month, and an average of 7.2 million logins every day, in the five months ending August 2019-- making it one of the most-used websites in Asia Pacific (APAC). Not only is it the only entity to authorise train bookings in India, it has the solo rights to serve food and beverages to people travelling long distances by train in India. The catering business alone made nearly $1.5 billion for the company last year. All of this had earned a consistent of return of 23% on the equity every year since 2017, according to HDFC Securities. The beneficiary until now was the company’s only shareholder-- the Government of India. The Indian state’s stake in the company has fallen to 87% post the IPO. The government sold the shares at ₹315 to ₹320 and on October 15, the day after the listing, the stock was trading at ₹731. Did the Indian government sell it too cheap? SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/irctc-doubles-investor-wealth-as-its-stock-surges-128-on-listing/articleshow/71580009.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">IRCTC doubles investor wealth as its stock surges 128% on listing</a>

An Indian company has only one client and yet, it's a nearly $3 billion monopoly

The holiday season just round the corner and Indians this year are packing their bags to fly off to a host of exotic travel destinations. While a 'phoren' (foreign) holiday trip has always been the ultimate dream for the 'aam aadmi' (common man), few have managed to cross beyond Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. If your name's on the list, or if you're just confused, fret not. 
 
Business Insider India compiles a list of the top 5 emerging international travel destinations Indians have taken to this year. Mind, these won't burn a hole in your pocket! *wink*

Top 5 emerging international travel destinations

<keyword id="302749" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Alibaba">Alibaba</keyword>, the Chinese-American e-commerce company, is considering the acquisition of an online movie booking site in India, to get a hold of India's retail entertainment business. 
 
The Jack Ma-founded company holds <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/anil-ambanis-reliance-capital-sells-paytm-stake-to-alibaba-for-rs-275-crore/articleshow/57513421.cms">major shares</a> in India’s popular digital payment app Paytm. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Alibaba-all-set-to-take-B2B-in-India-to-a-whole-new-level-to-aid-sellers-on-its-platform-/articleshow/54408740.cms">Alibaba all set to take B2B in India to a whole new level, to aid sellers on its platform</a> 
 
"Within the group, there is already a momentum like the Paytm investment," He Xiaopeng, president of mobile business at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/early-talks-around-merger-of-paytm-snapdeal-alibaba-plays-key-role/articleshow/57201475.cms">Alibaba</a>, told ET. "We are also going to have some investment in online movie tickets booking sites." 
 
He added that they are looking for sites similar to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bigtree-Entertainment-raises-550-crores/articleshow/53061293.cms">BookMyShow</a>, a major player in the industry. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Paytm-is-looking-to-make-its-next-billion-dollars-in-travelling-and-movie-ticketing-business/articleshow/55308607.cms">Paytm is looking to make its next billion dollars in travelling and movie ticketing business</a> 
 As per recent reports, <keyword id="2473713" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Alibaba-Pictures">Alibaba Pictures</keyword>, the movie and TV content arm of Alibaba group, was in talks for buying a major stake in Orbgen Technologies, the owner of platform TicketNew. 
 
The reason why Alibaba is attracted to India is that even though there is a global slowdown, the number of mobile phone and internet users in India is continuously growing. 
 
The entry of Reliance Jio in the telecom sector is being seen as a good sign by Alibaba, since the low data tariffs offered by Jio would only mean a rise in the number of internet users. 
 
(Image source: CNBC)

Alibaba might acquire an Indian site for online movie ticket booking

Uncertainly over online train tickets seem to have hit a dead end. <keyword id="65866" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRCTC">IRCTC</keyword> has just announced that you can opt for Pay on Delivery for your <keyword id="56937" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tatkal">tatkal</keyword> train tickets just like your online shopping. IRCTC users will be able to pay for tickets via cash or a debit or credit card by opting to have tickets delivered at their doorstep. The service, which was available for general reservations up till now, will be a game changer for Tatkal bookings as it will allow users to book tickets with just two clicks. IRCTC has collaborated with <keyword id="255717" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anduril-Technologies">Anduril Technologies</keyword> Pvt Ltd for the doorstep delivery process. Anduril Technologies provides pay-on-delivery service to 4000+ pincodes across India. In case of refusal or cancellation before delivery, the customer will be liable to pay the cancellation and delivery charges., failing which may attract deactivation of user’s account and strict action as per law. IRCTC processes 130,000 Tatkal transactions daily, and a majority of these tickets are booked within minutes of Tatkal quota being opened for booking. Until now, users had to pay first via the standard online payment gateways before the IRCTC portal confirmed their ticket; a process that introduced a delay of several precious seconds and often led to users not able to book a confirmed ticket. The ‘pay on delivery’ feature completely circumvents the use of a payment gateway and will help users make the bookings in just a few seconds; greatly increasing their chance of booking a confirmed ticket under the Tatkal quota. So what’s the procedure to get tatkal tickets at doorstep? The customers need to first register with irctc.payondelivery.co.in in order to avail the ‘pay on delivery’ option. They need to tender either Adhaar or PAN details at the time of registration. While booking the ticket on IRCTC portal, the user then needs to choose the ‘pay-on-delivery’ option. The digital delivery happens instantly via SMS / Email. The collection happens within 24 Hrs of the booking The customer can also pay online through a payment link that will be sent to them at time of booking. Pay only for successful transactions The new IRCTC ‘pay on delivery’ feature eliminates the transaction failures, often the money gets debited and the ticket is not issued on account of multiple reasons. With the Pay-on-delivery option on IRCTC, users will pay only when the tickets are booked.

Now pay on delivery when you book tatkal tickets

The whole set of devastating events we saw in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) sees the entire universe in a devastated state. Shattered and dejected that their ranks damaged by Thanos, the remaining Avengers come together once more for the final battle to rectify the damages that Thanos had done to the universe and bring in some order again with their united efforts. Produced at the Marvel Studios, Avengers: Endgame hits the screens in India on 26 April 2019. This final member in the series also becomes the grand conclusion to the twenty-two films in the production. The goal for the fans with the final release is to watch a cosmic climax to the most spectacular epic story that Jim Starlin’s 1991 Infinity Gauntlet Marvel Comics event series inspired. The highlight of the series is the mischievous pranks launched by Thanos who acquired the full set of infinity stones. Know the Cast All those characters who had survived after the Avengers: Infinity War will make their return this time for Avengers: Endgame. Josh Brolin will make his appearance once again on the screens as Thanos. You can also expect Tom Holland to be back however in a different capacity probably as Spider-Man for Avengers: Endgame. Since he did not feel as good as expected during the last time, this might not happen until the end. Kevin Feige, the boss of the Marvel Studios assured Holland's Spidey for Avengers 4. There is of course a caveat in what he said as "for now". We know that Spidey is known for an innovative sequel to get ready. This time in the End Game, Brie Larson is joining the team again as Carol Danvers following the line of events of Captain Marvel. You can certainly expect Chris Evans to make an appearance as Captain America. Nevertheless, this will be almost for sure to be the last time that he takes this role. We have all seen that Dave Bautista was not quite happy with Disney with regard to how they fingered James Gunn and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 situation. However, he has assured that he making an appearance once again in Avengers: Endame. We must wait and see in which capacity he makes it. You will see Gwyneth Paltrow will as Pepper Potts. She has also made known to all that this will be her last time with the MCU. It is all for you to figure out what this could mean to Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Stark looking beyond the movie. Quite interestingly, we see in a casting report that there could be a time travel or at least an alternate universe situation in Avengers: End Game. Emma Fuhrmann makes an appearance this time to play as Cassie Lang. the fans are speculating that she will be playing the future version of Cassie Lang, daughter of Ant Man Scott Lang and the most highlighted member of the Young Avengers group. You are going to know more than a dozen of reasons on why Katherine Langford is fitted in an unspecified but most probably to show up as Tony’s daughter in future role. Ty Simpkins, the robust kid you watched on Iron Man 3 will once again expected to appear.

Here's a list of Avengers Endgame Cast

<ul><li>In an interview with Business Insider, <keyword id="6467279" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deep-Kalra">Deep Kalra</keyword>, Founder Chairman, <keyword id="54613" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="makemytrip">MakeMyTrip</keyword> talks about how the platform is growing.</li><li>MMT is evolving using Artificial Intelligence and vernacular to target the next 200 million internet users in India. </li><li>It wants to be an end-to-end platform.</li></ul>If you are planning a trip, it’s almost never done without at least researching on the travel booking platform MakeMyTrip. Over the past 19 years, MakeMyTrip has become synonymous with online travel bookings. As the <keyword id="337738" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-technology">travel technology</keyword> sector continues to grow, MMT too is evolving using Artificial Intelligence and vernacular to target the next 200 million Internet users in India. Selling experiences now MMT is no more about tickets and hotel bookings alone. It wants to be an end-to-end platform, Deep Kalra, Founder Chairman, MMT, told Business Insider at a TiE Delhi NCR event. They are also selling experiences. Kalra explains that if they know you are in Goa, they can offer you experiences like yacht cruise, ziplining etc., as per your preferences. “We can sell you end to end – from research, to buying and in trip experiences. That’s how travel tech has changed,” he said. Talk to MMT and <keyword id="1705241" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="book-tickets">book tickets</keyword> Having been the frontrunner in travel tech, MMT is obviously moving on to the next big thing – Artificial Intelligence. “With AI, we have the power to learn from every experience so as to give our customers a much more nuanced and better product because the software has been learning for years. We can then proactively recommend you more things based on your likes,” said Kalra. MMT already has two chatbots, which are currently used for post-sales. But soon, you can use them to book tickets as well. “We are more than experimenting. Soon, you can chat and buy tickets. You can also talk to us in vernacular and book tickets,” said Kalra. How the sector has evolved For MMT founder Deep Kalra, it’s been a long journey which also includes a blockbuster listing in the US markets. “In the early days, no one was buying online. It was all search online and buy offline. That started to change in 2005, people started to buy rail tickets first,” said Kalra. The MMT founder has seen the world evolve from web to mobile web and then, an app. Kalra said that ticketing goes online very fast because it’s unidimensional, determined mainly by price and timing. The challenge, Kalra said, set in with selling hotel spaces and accommodation online. “It has now moved online with 20% of hotel bookings in the country being booked online,” he said. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thomas-cook-india-bookings-wont-be-affected-even-while-british-company-declares-bankruptcy/articleshow/71254056.cms">Don’t worry travellers, your bookings at Thomas Cook India won't be affected as it is debt-free</a>

MakeMyTrip will soon let you book tickets through voice and your mother tongue

In a bid to attract more and more customers, <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword> has integrated with companies like <keyword id="6359128" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Redbus">Redbus</keyword>, Zomato and <keyword id="132652" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cleartrip">Cleartrip</keyword> so that customers can directly use the mobile app to book bus tickets, flight tickets, hotel tickets and order food. 
 
While Cleartrip, Zomato and RedBus have got access to Snapdeal's huge user base, Snapdeal will be earning a commission for each booking for these companies made through its app. 
 
This can prove to be <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Snapdeal-is-now-valued-over-6-billion-Thanks-to-200-mnfunding/articleshow/50992078.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">financially beneficial for Snapdeal</a> since booking air tickets is a large gross merchandise value (GMV) category and food ordering is category that sees high frequency. 
 
"Horizontals are looking at monetising their user base with a focus on GMV and repeat use cases. As funding environment becomes tougher, growth in these metrics will stand out," a Snapdeal investor told ET on the condition of anonymity. 
 
It was last year that Snapdeal CEO Kunal Bahl had said that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Snapdeal-aims-to-overthrow-Flipkart-says-CEO-Kunal-Bahl/articleshow/48741092.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">they would surpass archrival Flipkart</a> in terms of GMV by March 2016, declaring an open war in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Swords-are-drawn-Snapdeal-and-Flipkart-are-challenging-each-other-to-become-numero-uno/articleshow/48770391.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">Indian e-commerce space</a>. 
 
GMV refers to the overall sales by merchants on an e-commerce platform, without factoring discounts. Out of these, the e-tailer gets 5 to 20% as margin on an average. 
 
It was only two months back that Snapdeal had tied up with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Now-buyProperty-on-Sale-from-Snapdeal/articleshow/50589572.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">real estate developers</a> to launch real estate and financial services on its website, to boost the GMVs. 
 
Talking of user experience, Snapdeal is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Product-selfies-IMPS-refunds-and-much-more-this-is-how-Snapdeal-is-using-technology-to-improve-user-experience/articleshow/50768069.cms" target="_BLANK￿￿￿￿">heavily using technology</a> to improvise in that area, like having IMPS refunds and product selfies. 
 
<a href="http://s32.iamwire.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Snapdeal.jpg">Image source</a>

You can now use the Snapdeal app to book tickets and order food online

<ul><li>Online ticket booking platform BookMyShow has laid off or furloughed 270 employees as it expects its revenue to be "greatly reduced" in the coming months, hit by the <keyword id="8902449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-pandemic">COVID-19 pandemic</keyword> and lockdown. </li><li>This includes those who will be put on furloughs, along with those who we will have to part ways with, at least, as of now. </li><li>Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, multiplexes, theatres and stadiums were closed and people stayed indoors, which impacted these businesses as well as those in ancillary services.</li></ul>Online ticket booking platform BookMyShow has laid off or furloughed 270 employees as it expects its revenue to be "greatly reduced" in the coming months, hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Several tech-led businesses including Ola, Uber, Zomato and Swiggy have laid off hundreds of employees in the past few weeks as they struggle against reduced earnings and uncertain business environment. "...we have had to resort to the task of reducing our costs to align them with what we believe will be greatly reduced revenues in the months to come...Out of 1,450 employees at BookMyShow in India and globally, about 270 employees across various functions and teams, will be impacted through this exercise," BookMyShow <keyword id="9308716" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-executive-ashish-hemrajani">chief executive Ashish Hemrajani</keyword> said in an email to employees. This includes those who will be put on furloughs, along with those who we will have to part ways with, at least, as of now, he added. He said the company has tried to do it best to offer financial support, continued health insurance cover and outplacement support for those impacted by the downsizing exercise. Hemrajani said the teams that are staying back have voluntarily taken salary cuts ranging from 10 per cent to 50 per cent at the leadership level, given up their bonuses and all salary raises. The company has cut all other expenses and renegotiated with vendors, partners and landlords and after exhausting all other cost-saving measures, it took the decision as a "last resort", he said, adding that the layoffs are "not a reflection" of the individual's performance or ability. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, multiplexes, theatres and stadiums were closed and people stayed indoors, which impacted these businesses as well as those in ancillary services.

BookMyShow lays off, furloughs 270 employees

<keyword id="22508" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="online">Online</keyword> ticketing platform <keyword id="600792" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BookMyShow">BookMyShow</keyword> has <keyword id="176161" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="laid-off">laid off</keyword> 200 <keyword id="6357081" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="employees">employees</keyword> as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect businesses. The move comes a year after the company laid off 270 employees across its offices in <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> and globally. Taking to Twitter, Ashish <keyword id="895742" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hemrajani">Hemrajani</keyword>, CEO and Co-founder of Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which operates BookMyShow, said: "<keyword id="8772552" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid19">COVID19</keyword> has taught me many lessons &amp; I learnt another one today. As we let go of 200 of the most incredibility talented &amp; performance driven individuals, each &amp; everyone has messaged, thanking me for the opportunity, the love for @bookmyshow and asking me if they could help me in any way possible." Hemrajani further said that he would support the affected staff to get new jobs and also asked for information on any available job opportunities. "And for me, finding each of them a new home, where a new journey can begin, was the easy choice. So if you have leads, please DM me &amp; we will do the needful. They will contribute incredibly to the growth of your wonderful firms. I'm sure we will all come out stronger," the CEO said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/realme-is-expected-to-launch-the-realme-book-and-realme-pad-on-june-15/articleshow/83398969.cms">Realme Book leaked ahead of launch, expected to debut with Realme Pad on June 15</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/iran-is-planning-to-introduce-a-legal-framework-for-crypto-even-as-bitcoin-mining-activity-remains-restricted/articleshow/83396588.cms">Iran is planning to introduce a legal framework for crypto even as bitcoin mining activity remains restricted</a>

Online entertainment ticket booking platform BookMyShow lays off 200 employees amid pandemic woes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Booking <keyword id="11898131" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="amtrak" source="Orion">Amtrak</keyword> tickets can get expensive, but there are some tricks to <keyword id="12265148" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="saving-money" source="Orion">saving money</keyword> when booking.</li><li>Martin Soto, a <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">travel</keyword> blogger and frequent Amtrak user, said you should always buy tickets online.</li></ul>Traveling can get expensive fast, and often, transportation is one of the most costly expenses. When it comes to Amtrak, ticket prices can cost anywhere from around $20 to $1,000, depending on the train line, the distance, and the class you choose. Insider spoke with Martin Soto, a blogger who runs <a href="https://travelexplorator.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Travel Explorator</a> and frequently takes Amtrak trains, to find out <a href="https://www.insider.com/common-mistakes-amtrak-riders-make-2021-9">how passengers can save money</a> when booking their next journey.Here are five easy ways to get the best deals with Amtrak.<h2>Buy your tickets on Amtrak's website</h2>There are several ways to purchase an <a href="https://www.insider.com/things-that-surprised-me-overnight-amtrak-train-2021-7">Amtrak</a> ticket: You can do it online or via Amtrak's app, you can buy tickets at the station, or you can order them over the phone. But Soto says there's only one way to go."You will find better deals if you buy your ticket online instead of at the train station," Soto said.<h2>Try to buy your tickets as early as possible</h2><a href="https://www.insider.com/packing-long-haul-train-ride-2021-8">Amtrak</a> releases its train schedules 11 months in advance, giving you ample time to plan a trip. Soto said to get the best deals, you should avoid purchasing last-minute. "You'll tend to find the cheapest fares if you book ahead of time rather than waiting for a deal to pop up," Soto said. "Amtrak increases ticket prices as the demand rises, so if you can buy before others start to buy up the tickets, you'll find a better deal. "<div type="image" title="a man purchasing amtrak tickets at a kiosk" height="2000" width="2666" msid="87672267" hostid="261"></div><h2>You should check out Amtrak's designated deals page</h2><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/deals">Amtrak's deals page</a> is the go-to place to save money on tickets. The company updates the page regularly with limited-time offers."While you might have trouble finding a deal if you plan on taking a train to a small city close to you, you might find a really good deal on well-known trains like the Pacific Surfliner," Soto said.For example, you can save 50% on a midweek trip on the Pacific Surfliner right now until March 2022.<h2>Don't forget to check to see if you qualify for extra discounts </h2>Amtrak has deals for certain passengers, like students, veterans, military families, and even children. In fact, you can save up to 50% on children's Amtrak tickets. <div type="image" title="An Amtrak train conductor" height="2000" width="2666" msid="87672268" hostid="261"></div>Plus, people who work for the government or are part of the Rail Passengers Association also qualify for extra discounts. "Even if you don't think you meet the criteria based on your background or job, it's worth checking," Soto said.The discounts are listed on <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/everyday-discounts">Amtrak's "everyday deals" page</a>.<h2>Consider signing up for Amtrak's Guest Rewards</h2><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/guestrewards/home">Amtrak's Guest Rewards</a> works like a credit card in that every time you buy an Amtrak ticket, you earn points, which can then be redeemed for future Amtrak purchases, hotel bookings, and car rentals. "Even for those who don't use Amtrak a lot, by simply booking hotels through their portal or signing up for a car rental, you earn free points," Soto said. "You don't need to be an Amtrak enthusiast to benefit from them."

You Searched For "online ticket booking" and got 10 results

An Indian company has only one client and yet, it's a nearly $3 billion monopoly

Sriram Iyer

Top 5 emerging international travel destinations

Saikat Pyne

Alibaba might acquire an Indian site for online movie ticket booking

BI India Bureau

Now pay on delivery when you book tatkal tickets

Suchayan Mandal

Here's a list of Avengers Endgame Cast

BI India Partner

MakeMyTrip will soon let you book tickets through voice and your mother tongue

Sanchita Dash

You can now use the Snapdeal app to book tickets and order food online

BI India Bureau

BookMyShow lays off, furloughs 270 employees

PTI

Online entertainment ticket booking platform BookMyShow lays off 200 employees amid pandemic woes

IANS

How to save money when booking Amtrak tickets, according to a travel expert

Frank Olito

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