All set to become ‘Bharat Flixbus’
Global travel-tech firm Flixbus, which provides long-distance bus and train services, expects India to become its biggest market in terms of passenger numbers by 2030, according to a senior company official.
The company, which entered the Indian market in February 2024, currently offers only intercity bus services in India and plans to further expand its operations on the Delhi-Dehradun corridor, Max Zeumer, chief commercial officer, FlixBus, told PTI.
Asked about the market prospects here, he said, “India represents one of Flixbus’s most strategic growth markets globally and is expected to become the company’s largest market by passenger volume by 2030.”
Globally, he said, “We are set to serve 99 million passengers in 2025 alone. We are already seeing strong and sustained demand across corridors in India, and are targeting a 30 per cent expansion of our network in the coming summer.” Elaborating on the prospects in India, Zeumer said, “Given the sheer size of the market, it is extremely interesting. It is the second largest bus market in the world.” Also in the ‘air conditioned intercity’ segment, which is a slightly more premium segment that is relevant to the company, he said, “That market is bigger than the European and US markets alone.
Munich-headquartered FlixBus plans to further expand its services on the Delhi-Dehradun corridor, where the government’s focus on better highway connectivity has led to a meaningful reduction in travel time and increased passenger demand, Zeumer said.
Sharing the company’s expansion plans in India, he said, “We are also expanding capacity on other high-demand intercity routes, including key corridors connecting Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.” Since entering the Indian market in February 2024, FlixBus has rapidly expanded its operations, connecting over 300 cities in North, West and South India through a network of over 1,800 stops.
“Our asset-light model is powered by partnerships with over 60 local SME fleet operators, enabling both rapid expansion and consistent service quality,” Zeumer said.
The company’s intercity connectivity across major regional networks extends to major cities and towns including Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Amritsar, Manali, Bir, Dehradun, Jaipur etc. In the west, it connects high-demand corridors to Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Karwar, Nashik, Indore and Ujjain, among other places.
In South India, its reach is also expanding in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Madurai.
