Adani Digital Labs Private Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, has made an exciting move in the tech industry with its plans to acquire Stark Enterprises Private Limited (SEPL), widely recognized as Trainman, a leading online train booking and information platform. The acquisition, which involves the purchase of a 100% stake in SEPL, marks Adani Group’s entry into the railway ticketing sector.
Founded by Vineet Gupta and Sachin Saxena, Trainman has gained popularity as an all-in-one train ticket booking platform, offering users a convenient solution for booking train tickets online, checking PNR status, and even predicting ticket confirmation status with an impressive accuracy rate of 94% for waitlisted tickets. In addition to these services, the Gurugram-based startup provides real-time updates on seat availability, running status, timetable, coach position, and fare calculation.
Trainman has achieved remarkable success, boasting annual ticket sales exceeding Rs 100 crore and attracting over 2.5 crore visits. The startup has garnered support from prominent investors, including Goodwater Capital from California and Hem Angels based in Mumbai. Notable figures such as Vijay Aggarwal, Chief Technology Officer of BharatPe, Vishal Kanodia, Director of Kanodia Cement Ltd, and Nitin Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of Mall 91, have also participated in Trainman’s seed round.
With this acquisition, Adani Digital, led by former Airtel vice president Rajan Bansal, aims to create an integrated platform that enables seamless interactions between customers and all of Adani Group’s business-to-consumer (B2C) ventures. This move aligns with Adani Group’s broader strategy to establish an omnichannel approach and enhance customer experience across its diverse portfolio.
Notably, this marks the second investment by the conglomerate in the travel booking and information segment. In October 2021, Adani Enterprises acquired a minority stake in Cleartrip Private Limited, an online travel aggregator associated with Flipkart. Additionally, Adani Enterprises appointed Nitin Sethi, former vice president of Indigo, as the company’s Chief Digital Officer in the same year.
The acquisition of Trainman by Adani Group demonstrates the company’s commitment to diversifying its presence in the market and expanding its offerings to cater to evolving customer needs. As the business landscape continues to evolve, strategic acquisitions and partnerships remain crucial for organizations seeking to stay at the forefront of innovation.
