Ebix and NSDL Payments Bank Cross One Crore Registrations Under MSRTC NCMC Programme

Ebix and its distribution arm Ebix Payment Services, along with NSDL Payments Bank, have crossed one crore NCMC RuPay smartcard registrations in five months under the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Smart Card Concession Project.

The achievement represents roughly 66,000 registrations a day, or about 46 every minute, reflecting the pace at which the initiative has been deployed across Maharashtra.

The NCMC-enabled cards support concessional travel for MSRTC passengers, including students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, freedom fighters and other notified categories. NSDL Payments Bank serves as the issuing bank, with the cards operating on the RuPay network.

Moving MSRTC Concessions from Paper to Digital

The initiative replaces MSRTC's paper-based pass system with an electronic, card-based process. Passenger eligibility, validity and concession benefits can be verified through the system, reducing dependence on manual checks during ticketing.

For MSRTC, this creates a more structured mechanism for managing concessional journeys, with transaction information supporting reconciliation and monitoring across a large volume of passenger activity.

Delivering Coverage Beyond Major Cities

MSRTC's network covers about 16,000 villages across Maharashtra. Serving such a dispersed passenger base requires an implementation model capable of operating across numerous depots and reaching communities beyond the state's major urban centres.

For passengers, this reach helps bring concession access closer to the points where journeys begin, reducing dependence on centralised or city-based processes. A distributed rollout also enables participating depots to follow a common framework for serving eligible categories, creating greater consistency across locations.

The model supports a more uniform approach to concession delivery across regions, even as passenger requirements and operating conditions vary from one part of Maharashtra to another.

Ebix Powers the Technology, NSDL Payments Bank Issues the Cards

Ebix provides the technology and payment infrastructure supporting the programme's core operations, including card personalisation and issuance, fare collection, transaction processing and concession validation. Together, these capabilities support the operational requirements of a high-volume concession programme deployed across MSRTC's geographically distributed network.

NSDL Payments Bank serves as the issuing bank, while the NCMC-enabled cards operate on the RuPay network, bringing the respective roles of the technology provider, issuing bank and payment network together within the programme.

Commenting on the milestone, T. C. Gurupasad, Managing Director, EbixCash, said, “The company has run large card programmes before, but never at this pace or for this passenger base. A student or pensioner in a village now carries the same card as anyone else in the country, and MSRTC and NSDL Payments Bank had insisted the coverage reach the depot network, not just cities, a requirement that shaped how the system was built. Ebix would like to apply the same model to other transit and concession programmes.”

The programme was formally launched in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and MSRTC Managing Director Dr. Madhav Kusekar.

Building Towards a One Nation, One Card Future

The implementation aligns with India's broader ‘One Nation, One Card' vision for interoperable mobility payments. Bringing MSRTC's concession framework onto NCMC and the RuPay network provides eligible passengers with a standardised payment credential within the country's wider mobility ecosystem.

For transport systems, interoperability can make it easier to connect different services without requiring separate credentials for every application. The MSRTC implementation illustrates how this approach can support concession management across a large public transport network.

Extending the Card's Utility

The programme also provides a foundation for expanding the utility of NCMC-enabled cards beyond concessional bus travel. Potential future capabilities include retail payments and auto-recharge, along with possible integration with other transport modes such as metro and water transport.

These extensions could allow a single credential to serve multiple mobility and payment requirements. For transport operators, building additional services around an established framework can support expansion without requiring a separate system for every use case.

Conclusion

The MSRTC NCMC initiative brings concession management into a unified digital framework across Maharashtra’s public transport network. By replacing paper-based passes with NCMC-enabled RuPay cards, the programme creates a more consistent way to identify eligible passengers and deliver concession benefits at scale. Its implementation also demonstrates how interoperable card technology can be applied to large, diverse public transport systems.

For Ebix, the initiative reinforces its role in delivering technology-led payment and mobility solutions for large, distributed use cases. The experience also creates a foundation for applying similar capabilities across other transit and concession programmes.

The programme also establishes a foundation for Maharashtra to build more connected mobility experiences over time. As NCMC adoption grows, the underlying infrastructure can support the evolution of how passengers access and use public transport, creating a pathway towards a more unified mobility ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

• 1 crore+ NCMC RuPay smartcard registrations achieved in five months
• Approximately 66,000 registrations per day, or 46 per minute
• MSRTC's network covers about 16,000 villages across Maharashtra
• Eligible beneficiaries include students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, freedom fighters and other notified categories
• Issuing bank: NSDL Payments Bank
• Technology and payment partner: Ebix Payment
• Card network: RuPay
• Potential future applications: Retail payments, auto-recharge, metro and water transport

Read more: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/banking/ebix-and-nsdl-payments-bank-cross-one-crore-registrations-under-msrtc-ncmc-programmes-/articleshow/133394196.cms