04 - 08 - 2026

Cleartrip bets big on India’s bus boom with Bus 2.0 launch

In India, the bus has never cared much for glamour.

It has carried students with borrowed suitcases, migrant workers with rolled-up bedding, pilgrims with prayer beads and lovers hoping nobody in the next seat asks too many questions. Now, the country’s most democratic mode of transport is getting a digital makeover.

Cleartrip, a Flipkart company, on Tuesday launched Bus 2.0, expanding its network to more than 6.5 lakh routes across over 6,000 cities and towns in a move aimed at making road travel a central pillar of its multi-modal travel platform. The company said the service connects destinations beyond the reach of airports and railway lines while allowing users to book buses alongside flights, trains, hotels and holiday packages through a single platform.

Gen Z travellers

The numbers suggest that the bus is no longer merely the transport of necessity. More than 55 per cent of bus bookings on Cleartrip now come from Gen Z travellers. For many students, young professionals and solo travellers, the overnight bus has become the preferred escape for weekend holidays, quick trips home or journeys planned after discovering that railway reservations have once again disappeared into waiting lists.

Bus 2.0 offers access to nearly 95 per cent of India’s private bus inventory along with an expanding network of state transport corporation services, bringing together one of the country’s largest road travel networks on a single digital platform. Gaurav Patwari, Chief Business Officer – Air, Cleartrip, said buses remain the most extensive form of transport in India and are often the first travel booking experience for young consumers.

He said the launch is intended to provide broader connectivity, greater flexibility and a seamless booking experience while moving the company closer to its vision of becoming a comprehensive multi-modal travel platform. The rollout follows Cleartrip’s expansion into train bookings and international hotel offerings, completing an ecosystem that now spans flights, trains, buses, hotels and holiday packages.

Founded in 2006 and acquired by Flipkart in 2021, Cleartrip is betting that in a country where every highway tells a story, the next chapter of online travel may well begin with a bus ticket.