For many years, public transportation in Odisha, India faced challenges common to rapidly urbanising regions: fragmented services, limited last-mile connectivity, dependence on cash-based ticketing, aging fleets, and inconsistent commuter experience. As cities like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack expanded and mobility demand increased, the need for a modern, reliable, and integrated public transport system became urgent.

When Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) was launched in 2018, its mandate was straightforward: deliver clean, reliable, and affordable public transport to the people of Odisha. What began as a regional initiative serving the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack urban corridor has since evolved into a state-wide mobility network connecting major cities and growth centres.

Over the years, CRUT’s expansion has gone beyond physical connectivity. Alongside fleet growth and service reliability, the agency has led a steady and strategic digital transformation, one that is increasingly being viewed as a replicable model across India and beyond.

A Human-Centred Digital Transition

Odisha is home to diverse communities with varying levels of digital access and literacy. Many commuters are daily wage earners who traditionally rely on cash transactions. Shifting such a large and varied commuter base toward digital payments is as much a behavioral journey as it is a technological one.

“With our team supporting as the Project Monitoring Unit, CRUT approached this shift with a clear principle: technology must enable, not exclude,” explains Kailas Patil, Senior Director, Palladium India. “Every digital intervention was designed to make travel easier, more transparent, and more predictable for passengers, while also strengthening income security for service providers.”

As the Project Monitoring Unit, Patil explains that the team provides a dedicated framework for end-to-end project planning, monitoring, documentation, implementation and reporting. “We ensure adherence to timelines, cost parameters, and performance benchmarks, while maintaining systematic coordination across technical, operational, financial, communication, and external stakeholders for all of the project’s initiatives.”

Building a Mobility Ecosystem

At the centre of this transformation is the Odisha Yatri App, a government-backed platform designed to provide safe, transparent, and affordable urban mobility. The platform, which began as a rideshare application, has enabled over 15,898 drivers to collectively earn more than US$1.07 million in commission-free income, ensuring that drivers retain their full earnings without intermediary deductions.

The app has evolved beyond ride-hailing. It now supports bus ticketing and bookings for boating services, with plans underway to expand services geographically and introduce ambulance booking functionality. Rather than functioning as a single-purpose application, Odisha Yatri is gradually developing into a broader, integrated mobility ecosystem serving both commuters and service providers.

Expanding Access Without Exclusion

CRUT’s digital journey accelerated with the launch of the Ama Bus app, which introduced fully digital ticketing. Passengers can purchase and validate tickets on their phones, track buses in real time, and check seat occupancy before boarding. These features, though simple, have significantly enhanced commuter confidence and reliability.

“Recognising that not all passengers are comfortable with smartphones, CRUT introduced closed-loop smart cards, offering a physical yet cashless option for regular commuters. These tap-and-go cards ensure that the transition to digital payments remains inclusive,” adds Patil. “Automatic Ticket Vending Machines were also installed at key locations, providing a self-service alternative for passengers who prefer on-ground transactions without relying on mobile apps or onboard ticketing staff.”

Further expanding accessibility, CRUT integrated its ticketing system with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a Government of India–backed initiative designed to make digital commerce more open, compatible, and inclusive. ONDC aims to move away from platform-centric digital ecosystems (where buyers and sellers must be on the same app) toward an open-network model. This allows passengers to purchase tickets through platforms they already use, such as WhatsApp, broadening digital reach without requiring users to adopt new systems.

The rollout of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) added another layer of integration. With a single interoperable card, passengers can access multiple transport services across cities, aligning Odisha’s mobility system with global standards of seamless, multi-modal transport.

“Today, 44% of all transactions across the system are digital, a figure that continues to grow,” Patil adds. “Passengers receive a 10% discount on digital payments, while women passengers receive a 15% discount, making digital travel both affordable and incentivised.”

“For commuters, these reforms mean shorter queues, predictable journeys, and greater control. For CRUT, digital adoption enables data-driven route planning, improved scheduling, and more responsive service delivery.”

Beyond Digital: Clean and Scalable Mobility

Digital transformation represents only one dimension of Odisha’s broader transport reform. CRUT currently operates a fleet of 720 buses, serving an average of 330,000 passengers daily. Nearly half of this fleet runs on electric power, making Odisha one of India’s most progressive adopters of clean public transportation.

Investments in electric depots, charging infrastructure, and emerging technologies such as hydrogen fuel cell buses reflect a long-term commitment to reducing emissions, lowering fuel dependence, and building climate-resilient urban systems.

Impact Beyond Infrastructure

The benefits of improved mobility extend far beyond ridership statistics. For workers, students, senior citizens, and informal sector labourers, reliable public transport translates into punctuality, safety, and dignity.

For drivers on the Odisha Yatri platform, commission-free operations provide stable and predictable income. For women commuters, targeted digital discounts offer both financial relief and encouragement toward independent travel. Upgraded bus shelters have also improved the everyday commuting experience, transforming waiting areas into safer and more comfortable public spaces.

“For us, digital transformation is never about technology alone, it is about making every day travel easier for people,” explains Sanjay Kumar Biswal, Managing Director of CRUT. “We have focused on simplifying technology and expanding digital access while keeping the commuter experience at the centre. From the Odisha Yatri App to NCMC and ONDC-enabled ticketing, our priority has always been convenience and transparency. The result is a mobility system that is cleaner, more efficient, increasingly digital, and setting new benchmarks.”

Through steady institutional reform, inclusive digital design, and a commitment to clean mobility, Odisha’s public transport system is quietly demonstrating how regional innovation can inform national, and potentially global, urban mobility practices.