Problems
On a lonely long train trip? Travelling with family/ friends and seats scattered in different boggy? Taxi fares burn a hole in your pocket. Visiting the city for the first time? Don’t know where to order food, where the pantry is or wait for next station or any other option? Unexpected health issues, someone creating problems in train? Just adjust as can’t do anything for them.
OMitra brings a simple way to solve them. Connecting the passengers.
OMitra is an Indian Rail Social app, that has been designed to solve most of the common problems that we face on the Indian train centric. OMitra making your train journey safely social and more engaging.
Train Noticeboard easy exchange of seats, taxi sharing, medical help, sharing movies – very easy for train travel. Post a notice by single tap and before you board on train and exchange your seats. (pls confirm later with TTE also)
Advanced live train tracking auto live train updates every ~15 minutes.
Automated wakeup alarm ~30 KM before destination – considers train delays
Family trip tracking – one tap to share journey with family for tracking.
Important Railway contacts Now just one click to complain for any problems, security, high charging vendor, cleanliness or anything.
An app which can be used by 60 yr old person as he never need to open the app and will get and all required information
Try the App here – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.train.omitraapp
Share your feedback
Business Model – Plan to add food and taxi service leads generations, ads
Why OMitra : Every year 8.9 billion people travel in train and there is no platform for – social safely engagement/co-operation of co-yatri.
No easy way to share and follow trip of close family members.
Every vendor at the station or in the train misuses limited co-operation of co-yatri and gives substandard quality stuff/service.
5 – 50 hrs journey in train, so lots of idle time, with technology, it can be better utilised in networking or some basic task or survey or lot more other things.
Lots of problems/opportunities, but as a startup we have started with few of them and will add more in the future.
Railways asking not to interact with strangers and we are saying let’s remove the strangeness and enjoy the trip in a friendly environment.
OMitra developed Railway Security App (RiSSTA) with South Central Railways and RPF for Hyderabad local train. Here security assistance in 5 minutes guranteed.
Vision is to make a combination of the Instagram/ Facebook/ WhatsApp/ Tripit customize it as per train travel needs.
About Me : Vikasj Jagetiya, worked on Qualcomm and HCLEAI for 10 yrs in Mobile Technology. Hold 5 US Granted Patents.
Now started OMitra – Train Social App startup to redefine train journey experience.
Twitter: @joinomitra @vikastennis
Facebook : https://facebook.com/omitra123
asha chaudhry
whoa! i think this is super bold “Railways asking not to interact with strangers and we are saying let’s remove the strangeness and enjoy the trip in a friendly environment.”
frankly speaking, i wouldn’t want to be too social on indian railways! but i applaud your concept. i’m sure youngsters would take to it more openly. and a lot of typical problems you’ve mentioned would probably get solved.
i don’t think changing seats (especially if in different compartments) is very viable – TEs/TCs are not so co-operative.
my main question is – have you tied up with indian railways? have you met them or interacted with them or bounced your idea to them?
Vikas Jagetiya
Its not only Social, but more then that, I am looking for some better branding as discussion forum/noticeboard/ dashboard or something else.
I bounced this idea to some officials but as railways is very govt. kind of orgs. so process/decison new ideas move very- very slow. We developed Security App for South Central railways and RPF.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.omitrasaftyapp
Some of the official feedback.
One zone DRM – he like concept and said, such produt can help in TTE corruption, if adopted widely.
One Zone Cheif heads – Says, if one guys have problem with AC then another guy say yes I also have problem and all guys together will come to railways 🙂
One Division Sr DSC – he know very well about my concepts.
As we are try to develop security app for railways zone, so pitched to various zone secuirty folks.
Also pitched to multiple zone’s Chief security heads/ division security heads., so they liked concepts but they have not much authority to take it further.
In fact one way it will help TTE also as folks can approach OMitra for seat change rather than TTE. and some negative impact also to TTE
asha chaudhry
i sure hope so!
all the very best 🙂
Ranjit Patel
Thanks Vikas for posting this story.. It was long waiting..
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
very nice…
have you approached IRCTC?
I mean if HDFC Bank can adopt “Chillr” why not IRCTC?
Sridhar Rajendran
I like the fact of having an alarm automatically before the destination station approaches. This is usually a problem that keeps me sleepless in trains. I set the alarm based on the expected arrival time and yet keep checking the stations often.
Vikas Jagetiya
As per railway guideline/philosophy, IRCTC/Railways will not allow any app which may caused ( perceived one) security issues to train passengers.
HDFC Bank is private and IRCTC is Govt. and there is huge difference in both of them.
Recently we got 10,000/- + downloads with a week after we featured in Danik Bhaskar paper.
https://www.facebook.com/dainikbhaskar/posts/10153889185482289:0
Do you have reference in IRCTC where we can pitch them and get IRCTC response?
Thanks,
Vikas
Vikas Jagetiya
Specially in night time or early morning stations.
Best part of OMitra Wake-up Alarm is, it works without internet/ without GPS and considers train delays.
Vikas Jagetiya
An Article on Hindu explaining What’s OMitra –
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/connecting-passengers/article7715841.ece
An Article on Hindu explaining What’s OMitra –
Mandar Joshi
Indeed an excellent idea Vikasj and truly life changing and saving also at times especially for the people who travel by train in those long and tiring journeys. Though I dont travel by train much I have downloaded the App and it indeed is neat 🙂 Keep it up I shall keep on posting my views as I shall use the App
Rupal Singh
Railways has recently launched their official Android application: IRCTC Rail Connect App on Google Play store. Users can use their existing login details to access this app, and book tickets.