{{Short description|Online travel organisation, subsidiary of MakeMyTrip Limited}} {{Use Indian English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox company | name = Ibibo Group | logo = Goibibo Logo.svg | type = Private | founder = Ashish Kashyap | industry = Online Travel | products = Flight, holiday, bus and train bookings | key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Parikshit Choudhry (CBO)|Sunil Suresh (CMO)|Vikalp Sahni (CTO)|Yuvaraj Srivastava (CHRO)|Pankaj Jain (CFO)}} | founded = {{Start date and age|2007|df=yes}} | hq_location_city = Gurugram, Haryana | hq_location_country = India | parent = {{ubl |Naspers (until 2016) |MakeMyTrip (2016–present) }} | website = {{URL|goibibo.com}} }}
'''Ibibo Group''' is an online Indian travel organization founded in January 2007 by Ashish Kashyap. The company is a subsidiary of MakeMyTrip (MMT) Limited, which owns a 100% stake in Ibibo Group.
The group owns the B2C online travel aggregator Goibibo, and online bus ticketing platform RedBus.in.
On 31 January 2017, MakeMyTrip (MMT) acquired the ibibo Group by purchasing 100% equity interest in the ibibo Group from MIH Internet, an indirect subsidiary of Naspers, pursuant to a Transaction Agreement dated 18 October 2016.
== History == Ibibo started as a social networking service in 2007,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://businesswireindia.com/news/news-details/ibibocom-launched-new-ad-commercial/14739|title=Ibibo.com Launched New Ad Commercial|publisher=Business Wire India|date=8 January 2008|access-date=24 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120301/http://businesswireindia.com/news/news-details/ibibocom-launched-new-ad-commercial/14739|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> and later changed to become an e-commerce and travel organisation. In 2009 Goibibo.com was launched.<ref>{{Cite web |title=From Social Media To Online Travel: The Twists And Turns Of Ibibo's Long Journey |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/boardroom/from-social-media-to-online-travel-the-twists-and-turns-of-ibibos-long-journey/43523/1 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}</ref>
== Acquisition and investments ==
=== Bixee === Bixee is a former job search engine for India, and an example of both vertical search and metasearch (not to be confused with Bixby, Samsung's voice assistant). It was launched in late 2005. The company also launched Pixrat, which is a social photo bookmarking service. Bixee was acquired by ibibo, the Indian arm of the South African media giant Naspers, in December 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2006/12/05/mih-india-acquires-bixeecom-and-pixrat-founders-to-join-mih/|title=MIH India Acquires Bixee.com And Pixrat; Founders To Join MIH|date=5 December 2006|access-date=30 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030170647/https://gigaom.com/2006/12/05/mih-india-acquires-bixeecom-and-pixrat-founders-to-join-mih/|archive-date=30 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Goibibo === Goibibo was launched in 2009 and is part of ibibo Group. It was co-founded by Sanjay Bhasin and Vikalp Sahni.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goibibo.com/management/|title=Management Team - Goibibo|website=www.goibibo.com|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107061032/https://www.goibibo.com/management/|archive-date=7 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Goibibo is India's largest hotels aggregation and also one of the leading air aggregator.
=== PayU India === In 2011, Ibibo rolled out its payment gateway innovation called PayU in the Indian market, to permit websites to integrate e-commerce transactions through online payments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iamwire.com/2011/10/nasper-launched-payu-payment-gateway-for-indian-market|title=Naspers Launches Payment Gateway PayU In India|publisher=MediaNama|date=7 October 2011|access-date=26 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021164240/http://www.iamwire.com/2011/10/nasper-launched-payu-payment-gateway-for-indian-market|archive-date=21 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> With PayU, a business can process payment by using credit cards and debit cards (for more than 50 banks), and online banking for banks including ICICI, HDFC, SBI, and Axis Bank. PayU provides an API for integration and transaction analytics to improve the speed and security of payment processing. PayU India launched of a first-of-its kind premium deferral payment facility for consumers 'LazyPay' aimed at those who transact digitally for any amount between ₹500 and ₹2,500 and is an option to pay later.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.iamwire.com/2011/10/nasper-launched-payu-payment-gateway-for-indian-market/|title= PayU – Payment Gateway for Indian market|publisher= iamWire|date= 7 October 2011|access-date= 26 June 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141021164240/http://www.iamwire.com/2011/10/nasper-launched-payu-payment-gateway-for-indian-market|archive-date= 21 October 2014|url-status= live}}</ref>
=== redbus.in === Redbus.in became a part of ibibo group via a 100% acquisition in June 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/redbus-sold-to-Ibibo-in-one-of-the-biggest-overseas-internet-deals/articleshow/20704509.cms|title=redBus sold to Ibibo in one of the biggest overseas internet deals|newspaper=The Times Of India|date=21 June 2013|access-date=10 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705164304/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/redBus-sold-to-Ibibo-in-one-of-the-biggest-overseas-internet-deals/articleshow/20704509.cms|archive-date=5 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/pressrelease/prnw/enin201306215956_indiapublic.html|title=ibiboGroup Acquires redbus.in|work=Telegraph India|date=21 June 2013|access-date=24 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217150447/http://www.telegraphindia.com/pressrelease/prnw/enin201306215956_indiapublic.html|archive-date=17 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> redBus is India's most popular online bus ticketing platform, both on mobile and on desktop. The business also owns BOGDS, a cloud computing service for bus operators, and SeatSeller, a GDS for bus inventory distribution.
redBus has started its carpooling and bike pooling platform called rPool in Delhi. <ref>{{Cite news |department=Auto |author=<!--staff byline; no author given--> |date=27 Feb 2020 |title=redBus launches car and bike pooling platform 'rPool' in Delhi |url=https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/aftermarket/redbus-launches-car-and-bike-pooling-platform-rpool-in-delhi/74337005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529085745/https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/aftermarket/redbus-launches-car-and-bike-pooling-platform-rpool-in-delhi/74337005 |archive-date=29 May 2022 |work=The Economic Times}}</ref>
=== YourBus === In March 2014, ibibo Group acquired Bangalore-based bus tracking startup YourBus.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/ibibo-buys-Bangalore-based-bus-tracking-startup-YourBus/articleshow/32389985.cms|title=ibibo buys Bangalore-based bus tracking startup YourBus|newspaper=The Times of India|date=21 March 2014|access-date=3 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011131333/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/ibibo-buys-Bangalore-based-bus-tracking-startup-YourBus/articleshow/32389985.cms|archive-date=11 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> YourBus, founded by BITS-Pilani graduates from Rajesh Mallipeddi and Satya Padmanabham in 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Companies/fKwhfBQeiEVQQqBveRrFFM/YourBuss-integration-with-RedBus-prompted-acquisition-Ibib.html|title=YourBus integration with RedBus prompted acquisition|publisher=LiveMint|date=21 March 2014|access-date=3 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626123709/http://www.livemint.com/Companies/fKwhfBQeiEVQQqBveRrFFM/YourBuss-integration-with-RedBus-prompted-acquisition-Ibib.html|archive-date=26 June 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> is a GPS-based bus tracking and analytics platform. The YourBus application on a smartphone shows users the location of a bus in real time on a map. It also tells the users about the arrival time at their pick-up point along with SMS updates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/03/19/ibibo-aquires-online-bus-tracking-and-analytics-startup-yourbus-in-india/|title=Naspers-Backed ibiboGroup Acquires Online Bus Tracking And Analytics Startup YourBus In India|publisher=TechCrunch|date=19 March 2014|access-date=25 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026002814/https://techcrunch.com/2014/03/19/ibibo-aquires-online-bus-tracking-and-analytics-startup-yourbus-in-india/|archive-date=26 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Djubo === In August 2015 ibibo Group bought a minority stake in cloud-based hotel services startup Djubo for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-08-28/news/65969478_1_minority-stake-ibibo-group-travel-company|title=Ibibo Group buys minority stake in cloud-based hotel services Djubo|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=28 August 2015|access-date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906145426/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-08-28/news/65969478_1_minority-stake-ibibo-group-travel-company|archive-date=6 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Djubo, founded in February 2015 by Tarun Gulati and Sankalp Goel, manages hotel bookings for over 100 hotels through a single interface.
=== redbus.pe and redbus.co === In July 2016 Redbus acquired Peru-based bus tracking startup Busportal. In 2017, they founded a chapter of Redbus in Colombia.
The company received ₹10.7 Crores infusion of funding from its Singapore-based parent company, Ibibo Group Holdings. Prior to this, in November 2019, It had also received ₹71.73 Crores.<ref>{{cite news |title=ibibo Gets Fresh Infusion From Singapore-Based Parent Amid CCI Probe |url=https://inc42.com/buzz/ibibo-gets-fresh-infusion-from-singapore-based-parent-amid-cci-probe/ |work=Inc42 Media |date=29 February 2020}}</ref>
==Merger== In October 2016, India based online travel company MakeMyTrip, a Nasdaq listed firm and ibibo Group,<ref name="test">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ibibo.com/ |title=Ibibo |access-date=8 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109025748/http://www.ibibo.com/ |archive-date=9 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> India's largest travel group agreed to merge in a stock transaction, to form the country's biggest online travel company.<ref>{{cite web|title=Online travel portals MakeMyTrip and ibibo announce merger|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/online-travel-portals-makemytrip-and-ibibo-announce-merger/articleshow/54921415.cms|work=The Economic Times|date=20 October 2016|access-date=7 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209013440/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/online-travel-portals-makemytrip-and-ibibo-announce-merger/articleshow/54921415.cms|archive-date=9 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MakeMyTrip, ibibo to merge, to become a dominant player|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/MakeMyTrip-ibibo-to-merge-to-become-a-dominant-player/articleshow/54925722.cms|newspaper=The Times of India|date=19 October 2016|access-date=7 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130012614/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/MakeMyTrip-ibibo-to-merge-to-become-a-dominant-player/articleshow/54925722.cms|archive-date=30 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Both these online platforms have AI-powered chatbots named Myra and Gia respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/makemytrip-deploys-ai-to-make-bookings-easier/article29697353.ece|title=MakeMyTrip deploys AI to make bookings easier}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links== * {{official website}}
Category:Internet properties established in 2007 Category:Defunct social networking services Category:Online companies of India Category:Indian travel websites