IntrCity SmartBus, a tech-enabled intercity bus platform in India, has raised $30 million in funding to expand its network across smaller cities and towns in the South Asian nation. The all-equity Series D round, led by A91 Partners, values the Noida-based startup at $140 million post-money.
Intercity travel is accelerating in India as more people migrate from smaller towns to metropolitan cities for work and education.
To meet this demand, New Delhi has significantly expanded the country’s highway infrastructure. The national highway network has increased by over 60% in the past decade, from 56,723 miles to 90,847 miles, according to Indian government data.
Railways, while extensive, remain capacity-constrained and cannot keep pace with rising inter-state travel demand. That makes long-distance road travel a crucial alternative. Yet, state-run intercity bus services are limited and often fall short on reliability and comfort — a gap IntrCity SmartBus aims to fill.
Unlike traditional operators, IntrCity SmartBus runs on an asset-light model by partnering with local bus owners and equipping their vehicles with proprietary hardware for real-time tracking, co-founder and president Kapil Raizada said in an interview.
The startup also centralizes ticket booking and route planning through its digital platform, which helps determine service frequency, pickup points, boarding stations, and even seat configurations based on demand.
To ensure safety and consistency, IntrCity places trained personnel — called “captains” — on board each bus, Raizada told TechCrunch. Most vehicles feature washrooms, and the company has also set up air-conditioned boarding lounges staffed with crew to improve the pre-departure experience.
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