Ibibo

Ibibo is an Indian internet-services and online-travel group whose best-known businesses are the accommodation and air-travel platform Goibibo and the intercity bus-ticketing platform redBus. The group began in January 2007 under the leadership of Ashish Kashyap. Its original identity was closer to a social-networking service, but the business subsequently moved toward electronic commerce, travel aggregation, payments, and technology services for travel operators. Goibibo was launched in 2009 and became the group's principal consumer-facing online travel brand, while redBus expanded Ibibo's presence in bus-ticket distribution and operator software. Ibibo also developed or acquired businesses outside the core travel-booking interface. In 2006, before the group's formal 2007 beginning, the Indian arm of Naspers acquired Bixee, an Indian job-search and vertical-search service, together with the related social photo-bookmarking service Pixrat. In 2011, Ibibo introduced PayU in India as an online-payment gateway for merchants. PayU supported card and internet-banking transactions and offered application-programming interfaces and transaction analytics for ecommerce integrations. A deferred-payment product known as LazyPay was subsequently associated with PayU India, although payments later became a separate strategic business from the travel operations. The group strengthened its transportation portfolio through the full acquisition of redBus in June 2013. redBus operated online bus-ticket sales through web and mobile channels and also developed BOGDS, a cloud service for bus operators, and SeatSeller, a distribution system for bus inventory. It later explored pooling services through rPool in Delhi and international expansion through redBus-branded operations and related assets in Latin America. In March 2014, Ibibo acquired YourBus, a Bangalore-based GPS bus-tracking and analytics startup. YourBus technology enabled passengers to view bus locations, estimated arrival information, and related alerts through a mobile application. Ibibo continued to invest in travel-technology infrastructure. In August 2015 it acquired a minority stake in Djubo, a cloud-based hotel-services startup that provided a consolidated interface for managing hotel bookings. The group's bus operations also expanded beyond India: in July 2016 redBus acquired Peru-based bus-tracking startup Busportal, and a Colombian redBus operation was established in 2017. These moves reflected Ibibo's broader interest in combining consumer booking, inventory distribution, operator software, and real-time transport information. The decisive ownership change came through an agreement announced in October 2016. MakeMyTrip and Ibibo agreed to combine in a stock transaction, with MakeMyTrip acquiring all equity in the Ibibo Group from MIH Internet, an indirect Naspers subsidiary. The transaction was completed on 31 January 2017, making Ibibo a wholly owned subsidiary of MakeMyTrip Limited. After the transaction, Goibibo and redBus remained important consumer brands within the combined travel portfolio, while MakeMyTrip and Ibibo brought together competing online-travel platforms and technology capabilities. The group is therefore best understood today as a corporate travel-services portfolio and operating subsidiary rather than as an independent standalone public company.

Ibibo's corporate story combines a short-lived social-networking origin with a later concentration on online travel, payments, and transportation technology. The business was founded in January 2007 by Ashish Kashyap in India. Before that formal founding date, Naspers's Indian internet operations had acquired Bixee in December 2006. Bixee was a job-search and vertical-search service, while Pixrat provided social photo-bookmarking functionality. These early activities illustrate the broad consumer-internet orientation from which Ibibo developed. The group shifted toward electronic commerce and travel. In 2009 it launched Goibibo, which became a consumer-facing aggregator for flights and hotels and grew into one of the group's central brands. Ibibo also entered online payments, introducing PayU in India in 2011. The gateway was designed to let merchants integrate digital checkout and accept cards and online banking, with supporting APIs and transaction analytics. PayU's Indian business later became associated with LazyPay, a deferred-payment facility for smaller digital purchases. A major expansion occurred in June 2013 when redBus joined Ibibo through a 100 percent acquisition. redBus added online bus-ticketing coverage across web and mobile channels, as well as business-to-business technology including BOGDS for bus operators and SeatSeller for bus-inventory distribution. The group subsequently expanded its transport-technology capabilities by acquiring YourBus in March 2014. Founded in Bangalore in 2011, YourBus used GPS data to show bus locations and estimated arrival times, with mobile and SMS notifications for passengers. Ibibo continued to build hotel and transport infrastructure rather than relying solely on retail booking. In August 2015 it took a minority stake in Djubo, a cloud-based hotel-services startup founded earlier that year. Djubo provided a unified interface for hotel-booking management. redBus also pursued services beyond ticket sales, including the rPool carpooling and bike-pooling initiative in Delhi. Its international footprint included the acquisition of Peruvian bus-tracking startup Busportal in July 2016 and the establishment of a Colombian redBus operation in 2017. The group's independent ownership ended through its combination with MakeMyTrip. In October 2016, MakeMyTrip and Ibibo agreed to merge in a stock transaction. Under the transaction agreement dated 18 October 2016, MakeMyTrip purchased the entire equity interest in Ibibo Group from MIH Internet, an indirect Naspers subsidiary. Completion took place on 31 January 2017. Ibibo thereby became a wholly owned MakeMyTrip subsidiary, while Goibibo and redBus continued as major brands within the combined travel business. The merger brought together two significant Indian online-travel platforms and consolidated capabilities in accommodation, air travel, bus ticketing, payments, and travel technology. No independently verified current executive roster or separate public financial reporting for Ibibo is established in the supplied material.

• 2017

  MakeMyTrip completes Ibibo acquisition

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  MakeMyTrip completed its purchase of 100 percent of Ibibo Group's equity.

• 2016

  MakeMyTrip combination announced

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  MakeMyTrip and Ibibo agreed to combine in a stock transaction.

• 2015

  Djubo investment

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  Ibibo took a minority position in cloud hotel-services startup Djubo.

• 2014

  YourBus acquired

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  Ibibo acquired YourBus to add GPS-based bus tracking and analytics.

• 2013

  redBus joins Ibibo

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  Ibibo acquired all of redBus, adding bus-ticketing and operator-technology businesses.

• 2011

  PayU introduced in India

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  Ibibo rolled out PayU as an online payment gateway for Indian ecommerce businesses.

• 2009

  Goibibo launched

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  The group launched Goibibo as an online travel-booking platform.

• 2007

  Ibibo founded

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  Ashish Kashyap founded Ibibo in India in January 2007.

• 2006

  Bixee acquisition

  [1]Ibiboen.wikipedia.org

  Naspers's Indian internet operation acquired Bixee, a job-search and vertical-search service associated with Pixrat.

An Indian digital travel and transport-technology group combining consumer booking platforms with payment, distribution, and operator-software capabilities.

• Online travel aggregator · 2009

  Goibibo

  Launched in 2009, Goibibo is Ibibo's principal consumer travel-booking brand. It aggregates flight and hotel inventory and became one of India's prominent online travel platforms. The service is oriented toward digital self-service booking through web and mobile channels and forms part of the travel portfolio controlled by MakeMyTrip after the 2017 acquisition.

• Online bus ticketing

  redBus

  redBus is an online bus-ticketing platform serving consumers through web and mobile interfaces. After joining Ibibo in 2013, it was supported by related operator and distribution technologies, including BOGDS and SeatSeller. redBus also pursued transport-adjacent initiatives such as pooling and international operations in selected markets.

• Payment gateway · 2011

  PayU India

  PayU India was introduced by Ibibo in 2011 to help websites integrate online payments. Its described capabilities included card acceptance, internet banking across major Indian banks, APIs for merchant integration, and transaction analytics. PayU expanded Ibibo's activities from travel commerce into broader digital-payment infrastructure.

• Bus tracking and analytics · 2011

  YourBus

  YourBus was a Bangalore-based GPS bus-tracking and analytics startup acquired by Ibibo in 2014. Its application displayed vehicle locations on a map, estimated arrival information, and passenger alerts, including SMS updates. The technology complemented redBus's ticketing and operator-services activities.

• Bus inventory distribution

  SeatSeller

  SeatSeller is a global distribution-system-style platform associated with redBus for distributing bus inventory. It represents Ibibo's business-to-business infrastructure layer, linking bus operators and travel-distribution channels rather than serving only as a consumer booking interface.

• Bus operator cloud software

  BOGDS

  BOGDS is a cloud-computing service associated with redBus and designed for bus operators. It extends the group's role into operator technology, supporting the management and distribution of bus inventory alongside consumer ticket sales.

• 2016

  Combination with MakeMyTripM&A

  Background

  Indian online travel was consolidating around larger platforms with complementary booking and technology assets.

  Action taken

  Ibibo and MakeMyTrip agreed to combine through a stock transaction, with MakeMyTrip purchasing Ibibo from MIH Internet.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was completed in January 2017 and Ibibo became a wholly owned subsidiary of MakeMyTrip.

  Source

• 2013

  Acquisition of redBusM&A

  Background

  Ibibo sought to expand beyond air and hotel aggregation into ground transportation.

  Action taken

  The group acquired 100 percent of redBus.

  Aftermath

  Ibibo gained a major bus-ticketing platform and related operator, distribution, and tracking capabilities.

  Source

• 2009

  Launch of GoibiboProduct launch

  Background

  Ibibo moved from its earlier social-networking orientation toward ecommerce and online travel.

  Action taken

  The group launched Goibibo as a consumer online travel-booking platform.

  Aftermath

  Goibibo became one of Ibibo's principal travel brands and later part of MakeMyTrip's combined portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Ibiboen.wikipedia.org