Chalo
Chalo is an Indian public transport technology company operating a multi-modal platform of live bus tracking, digital ticketing, NCMC payment cards, and ETIM hardware across 51+ Indian cities and select South-East Asian markets, serving both government bus operators and daily commuters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Chalo does
Chalo Mobility Private Limited is an Indian public transport technology company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Navi Mumbai. It operates a multi-modal platform serving both B2B transport operators and B2C commuters. On the operator side, Chalo provides a complete technology stack including GPS tracking devices, Electronic Ticket Issuing Machines (ETIMs), dynamic QR-based UPI ticketing, conductor management apps, and live monitoring dashboards. On the consumer side, the Chalo App delivers live bus tracking, mobile ticketing, mobile bus passes, and a YES Bank-powered NCMC-compliant Chalo Card for contactless tap-to-pay across buses, metros, and retail merchants. Super Saver plans offer prepaid multi-trip bundles with 30-75% discounts.
The company generates revenue through multiple streams: transaction fees on digital ticket collections shared with bus operators, recurring technology subscription fees for the operator stack, hardware sales under multi-year contracts (e.g., the Rs 30 crore BMTC ETM contract), and prepaid wallet float on Chalo Cards. Chalo has expanded through acquisitions of Shuttl (premium office commute) and Vogo (e-bike first/last-mile), and partnerships with Switch Mobility for 5,000 electric buses and ONDC for distribution. It operates in 51+ cities across India and has international presence in Metro Manila and Bangkok, with 15,000 buses live-tracked and approximately 200 million Indians in its addressable market.
Chalo has raised approximately $119 million in total funding across multiple rounds, culminating in a $450 million post-money Series D valuation in 2023 led by Avataar Ventures. The company is currently raising pre-IPO capital. Its primary customers are Indian state and city government transport corporations, with notable concentration risk tied to government procurement and political continuity. Key leadership includes co-founder and CEO Mohit Dubey and co-founder/CTO Vinayak Bhavnani.
Chalo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chalo
- Legal name
- Chalo Mobility Private Limited
- Website
- https://chalo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Chalo is an Indian public transport technology company operating a multi-modal platform of live bus tracking, digital ticketing, NCMC payment cards, and ETIM hardware across 51+ Indian cities and select South-East Asian markets, serving both government bus operators and daily commuters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chalo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transport Technology
- NAICS
- Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) Platforms (THAIAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fare Capping, Best-Fare & Account Reconciliation (THAIAMAH)
Keywords
Where Chalo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Chalo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Digital Ticketing Platform: Chalo charges bus operators a share of digital ticket collections. The platform enables mobile, card, and cash tickets through its tech stack.
- Technology Solutions for Bus Operators: Chalo provides complete tech stack including GPS devices, ETIMs, and digital platforms to bus operators for a fee.
- ETM Supply Contracts: Four-year contract valued at approximately Rs 30 crore with BMTC for smart ETMs. Chalo supplies around 11,000 smart ETMs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Super Saver Plans for Mumbai |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Super Saver Plans for Kottayam |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Chalo Card Pricing - Nagpur |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Chalo Card Pricing - Mumbai |
| Subscription | Monthly | Student Bus Pass - Kottayam |
| Subscription | Monthly | Student Bus Pass - Mangaluru |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bus Pass - Patna |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | NCMC Card - Mumbai |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | ETM Contract - Bengaluru |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Chalo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chalo provides a public transport technology platform for city buses that combines live GPS bus tracking, digital ticketing through a consumer mobile app, contactless prepaid travel cards (Chalo Card PPI and NCMC open-loop), and a complete operator technology stack including GPS devices, Electronic Ticket Issuing Machines (ETIM), dynamic QR-based UPI ticketing, and live operational dashboards. The company serves both bus operators and transport corporations seeking to digitize operations, reduce cash pilferage, and grow ridership, as well as individual commuters seeking real-time arrival information, digital payments, mobile bus passes, and prepaid multi-trip savings plans.
Product overview
Chalo is India's #1 bus transport technology company operating a multi-modal public transport network platform. The core offering consists of the Chalo App (live bus tracking, mobile ticketing, and pass purchase) paired with the Chalo Card (YES Bank-powered tap-to-pay prepaid bus card available as standard PPI or NCMC open-loop card). Supporting products include Super Saver multi-trip prepaid plans offering 50-75% savings, Chalo Bus premium AC services with seat reservation, Shuttl office commute buses, and Vogo e-bikes for first/last-mile connectivity. For bus operators, Chalo provides a complete tech stack including GPS tracking, ETIM hardware, and digital ticketing platforms. The platform covers 51 cities in India plus Metro Manila and Bangkok internationally, with demonstrated ridership increases of up to 50% in the first year of implementation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chalo App India's #1 bus transport mobile application enabling live GPS bus tracking, real-time arrival estimates, live passenger crowding indicators, mobile bus pass purchase, mobile ticket purchase, and QR code-based scan-and-pay functionality across 51+ Indian cities plus Metro Manila and Bangkok.
- Chalo Card (PPI and NCMC) Tap-to-pay contactless prepaid bus travel card (PPI powered by YES Bank) storing a prepaid wallet with optional Super Saver plans and bus passes; available as a semi-closed loop card or NCMC-compliant open-loop card usable on metros, buses, and retail merchants accepting RuPay.
- Chalo Bus Premium all-day AC bus service operated in partnership with BEST in Mumbai, offering seat reservation via the Chalo App, guaranteed seating, and a premium travel experience for commuters willing to pay for reliability.
- Shuttl Premium office commute bus service brand operated by Chalo in Delhi and Kolkata, offering app-based seat reservation for corporate commute routes.
- Vogo E-bike fleet brand for first and last-mile urban connectivity, integrated into Chalo's multi-modal public transport network solution.
- Chalo Pay Prepaid wallet feature within the Chalo App enabling fast conductor-side ticket validation via phone tap-to-POS and supporting offline wallet transactions for bus travel in Mumbai's BEST buses without requiring network connectivity.
- Operator Technology Stack (GPS, ETIM, Digital Ticketing Platform) Complete B2B technology stack for bus operators including GPS device installation, Electronic Ticket Issuing Machines (ETIM), conductor management apps, digital ticket validation, live bus monitoring dashboards, and digital revenue collection designed to reduce cash pilferage and increase operational efficiency for transport corporations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Increases bus ridership by up to 50% in first year of implementation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chalo
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chalo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Chalo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- YES BankcorePartnership to issue YES Bank-powered Chalo Cards as prepaid payment instruments (PPI/NCMC) for contactless bus payments.
- ShuttlcoreAmazon-backed bus aggregator acquired by Chalo in 2021. Shuttl's leadership and branding remain intact. Expands Chalo's presence in premium office commute segment.
- VogosupportingE-bike brand acquired by Chalo for first and last mile connectivity under the Chalo ecosystem.
- Switch MobilitysupportingPartnership to deploy 5,000 electric buses in India.
- ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce)coreGovernment-backed digital commerce network enabling over 300,000 daily bus and metro ticket bookings. Chalo integrated for transport ticketing.
- BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport)corePartnership for Chalo Bus premium AC service, live tracking, digital ticketing, and NCMC card launch in Mumbai.
- BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation)corePilot partnership for dynamic QR-based UPI ticketing through ETMs in 50 buses. Four-year contract valued at approximately Rs 30 crore for smart ETMs.
- GreenZon Recycling Pvt LtdminorE-waste collection and recycling partner for PAN India coverage with disposal at their plant in Sikandrabad, Bulandshahar.
- Professional Logistics Pvt LtdminorReverse logistics partner for channelization of e-waste to recycling facilities across India.
- MahaMetrosupportingPartnership for feeder bus service in Nagpur to boost last-mile connectivity, officially flagged off in 2026.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chalo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tummoc: Indian multi-modal transit app offering live tracking, mobile ticketing, and passes across buses, metro, and last-mile options. Direct competitor to Chalo App in the same Indian cities and overlapping operator partnerships.
- Optibus: AI-driven operations platform for public transit agencies, providing scheduling, rostering, and on-time performance optimization. Comparable to Chalo on the B2B operator-tech side for global bus operators.
- Citymapper: Urban mobility super-app offering live bus/train tracking, route planning, and ticketing in major global cities. Closely comparable to Chalo App's consumer experience and B2C ticketing model.
- MoveInSync: India-based SaaS platform for corporate employee commute and shuttle operations, similar in technology stack to Chalo's Shuttl offering and operator-tech capabilities for fleet digitization.
- AbhiBus (RedBus): Indian bus ticketing platform (part of RedBus/MAKEMYTRIP) offering online and mobile bus ticket booking across operators. Adjacent to Chalo's mobile ticketing business, though more focused on inter-city and private operators.
Broad incumbents
- Moovit: Global urban mobility app (now part of Intel) providing multi-modal transit tracking and trip planning across thousands of cities. Overlaps with Chalo on the consumer live-tracking experience, though Moovit lacks operator-side ticketing hardware.
- NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India): Operator of India's RuPay and NCMC open-loop card standards, which underpin Chalo's tap-to-pay ecosystem. Functions as both a critical infrastructure enabler and a potential long-term competitive threat as the open standard scales.
Emerging players
- Spare: Transit technology platform enabling on-demand microtransit, paratransit, and fixed-route services for transit agencies. Comparable to Chalo in delivering tech-stack solutions to public transit operators.
- Padam Mobility: European demand-responsive transit and microtransit SaaS provider serving public transport authorities. Comparable in operating-model focus on digitizing bus and shuttle networks via software platforms.
- SWVL: Tech-enabled mass-transit and bus-hailing platform operating in emerging markets, with a model similar to Chalo's Shuttl premium commute service. Comparable as a multi-modal mobility player with enterprise and B2G contracts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chalo social profiles
Digital presenceChalo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Chalo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chalo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Chalo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Chalo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds12 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chalo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chalo
What does Chalo do?
Chalo provides a public transport technology platform for city buses that combines live GPS bus tracking, digital ticketing through a consumer mobile app, contactless prepaid travel cards (Chalo Card PPI and NCMC open-loop), and a complete operator technology stack including GPS devices, Electronic Ticket Issuing Machines (ETIM), dynamic QR-based UPI ticketing, and live operational dashboards. The company serves both bus operators and transport corporations seeking to digitize operations, reduce cash pilferage, and grow ridership, as well as individual commuters seeking real-time arrival information, digital payments, mobile bus passes, and prepaid multi-trip savings plans.
Is Chalo a public or private company?
Chalo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Chalo founded?
Chalo was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Chalo based?
Chalo is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Chalo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Digital Ticketing Platform is the primary driver. The others are technology Solutions for Bus Operators and ETM Supply Contracts.
Who are Chalo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tummoc, Optibus, Citymapper, MoveInSync and AbhiBus (RedBus). Broad incumbents are Moovit and NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India). Emerging players are Spare, Padam Mobility and SWVL.
Does Chalo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chalo.
What industry is Chalo in?
Chalo's product category is Public Transport Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAIAMAA, Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) Platforms, with a secondary code of THAIAMAH, Fare Capping, Best-Fare & Account Reconciliation. Its NAICS code is 485113 and its SIC code is 4100.