New Delhi [India]: In an industry dominated by VC dollars and discount wars, EaseMyTrip stands tall as a rare, bootstrapped success story — built not on hype but on values, trust, and customer-first principles.
Launched in 2008 by three brothers from Delhi — Nishant, Rikant, and Prashant Pitti, the platform began as a B2B travel booking tool for agents and slowly grew into India’s second-largest B2C travel portal. What sets EaseMyTrip apart? It has never raised external funding.
While peers splurged on celebrity endorsements and user acquisition, the Pitti brothers focused on building a profitable, customer-centric platform. With no convenience fee, transparent pricing, and exceptional service, they earned loyalty, not just traffic.
Customer Loyalty Over Clicks:
- 26 million+ loyal users
- Trusted for seamless bookings, prompt refunds, and honest communication
- Stood firm during COVID-19, gaining goodwill instead of gaming the system
Ethics Over Optics:
In January 2024, when a diplomatic row erupted between India and the Maldives, EaseMyTrip quietly suspended all bookings to the island nation — forfeiting 240,000 annual bookings.
This wasn’t PR. It was principled action, reflecting the company’s nationalistic ethos, as chairman Nishant Pitti stated:
“Money will come and go. But our nationalistic approach will never change.”
FY24 Financial Performance:
- EBITDA: ₹2,282 million (19% YoY growth)
- Revenue from Operations: 32% growth
- Gross Booking Revenue: ₹85,126 million
All while staying 100% bootstrapped.
Beyond Bookings:
EaseMyTrip is now evolving into a complete travel ecosystem, spanning:
- Flights, hotels, holidays, buses, rail, charters
- Spiritual tourism, battlefield tourism, and EV mobility
- Expanding across global markets
Yet the mission stays the same: Make travel easy, honest, and human.
Why This Story Matters:
EaseMyTrip is more than a company. It’s a blueprint for what Indian startups can achieve when they choose integrity over investment, service over spin, and impact over IPO hype.