Bengaluru’s BMTC awards smart ticketing machine contract to mobility startup Chalo

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• BMTC grants Chalo Rs 40 crore contract for smart ticketing
• Chalo to supply 11,000 ETMs, with mobile app and cashless options
• New system to support UPI, QR, cards, and NCMC for bus tickets

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Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has awarded a contract to Mumbai-based mobility startup Chalo to supply and maintain smart electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) and a comprehensive digital ticketing solution, sources told Moneycontrol.

The contract, estimated at around Rs 40 crore for five years, will see Chalo initially supply about 11,000 smart ETMs along with the required ticketing software and backend systems. BMTC’s total requirement is expected to increase to around 15,000 machines over the next five years depending on operational demand.

Also, read: National Common Mobility Card fails to make a mark in Bengaluru as bus agency is not on board

Tender awarded after multiple attempts

“We floated this tender for the fourth time in July 2025 and recently awarded the contract to Chalo. At present, Tummoc and Pine Labs were providing these machines and software support. But this tender is a comprehensive one, so there is scope for Chalo to introduce an app and a mobility card for cashless travel. However, the BMTC board will take a final decision,” a senior BMTC official told Moneycontrol.

As part of the project, a mobile ticketing platform for Android and iOS will also be developed, allowing passengers to buy digital tickets and passes through a mobile application. The system will support QR code validation as well as smart card and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) transactions, enabling interoperability with systems used by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

Separately, BMRCL and RBL Bank have been issuing the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), an interoperable transport card, since March 2023. However, the card is yet to become popular among passengers as BMTC has not yet been integrated into the system.

Also, read: Karnataka spends Rs 12,669 crore on 500 crore bus trips under Shakti scheme for women

Digital ticketing ecosystem for buses

Chalo operates in more than 65 cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Kochi, Patna, Guwahati, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore. The company offers the Chalo app for real-time bus tracking, a smart card for contactless payments of bus tickets and passes, and QR-based digital tickets and passes through mobile phones.

BMTC officials said the new devices will allow conductors to issue tickets digitally and accept multiple payment modes, including UPI, QR code-based payments, debit and credit cards, while also recording cash transactions. The machines will be capable of storing thousands of ticket records and route data and will generate printed tickets through integrated thermal printers.

The system will be supported by a centralised ticketing platform that will enable BMTC to monitor transactions, generate reports and share data with other transport systems through application programming interfaces (APIs). The solution will also integrate with BMTC’s Automatic Vehicle Location System and other internal IT applications, while ticketing data will be hosted on a cloud-based infrastructure to enable real-time monitoring and analytics.

Chalo will also be responsible for operating and maintaining the system, including server infrastructure, software updates and servicing of the ticketing machines during the contract period. The contract period will be four years from the date of system go-live, with an option for BMTC to extend it by another year at the same rental price, officials added.

One of India’s largest bus operators

BMTC is one of the country’s largest urban bus transport operators, with a fleet of more than 6,800 buses and around 60,000 trips operated daily. On average, more than 45 lakh passengers use its services every day. The corporation was among the first in India to replace manual ticket punching with handheld electronic ticketing machines in 2006.

Smart card plan for Shakti Scheme

Meanwhile, the Karnataka cabinet has approved the rollout of a Shakti Scheme smart card to enable free travel for women in non-AC buses. The system will be based on the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) to enable integrated, contactless and interoperable fare payments for both free and fare-paying passengers.

The cabinet has also approved the formation of a special purpose vehicle involving the four state transport undertakings and a system integrator to implement the programme, while KSRTC will act as the state nodal agency to manage a common pool escrow account in line with RBI guidelines.

Also, read: Bengaluru: Nearly half of BMTC's ticket revenue now comes via UPI as passengers go digital