‘We are confident of handling any responsibility’

NEW DELHI: Chairman and managing director of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Arun Kumar Manocha, elaborates on plans to boost the corporation’s finances in an exclusive interview. Excerpts:

The e-catering business does not seem to have taken off instantly. Current volumes are not great, but these are early days. At the moment, about 200 meals each day are being supplied through the e-catering route against the business potential for the supply of about 9,000 meals each day. The business can only expand and become bigger.

Why is the corporation in the process of revising the marketing strategy?

We started with train-based catering (meals served in trains), but have discovered that the concept of station-based catering (serving meals at important stations) is a better option. Forty-five stations have been identified for this in the first phase. We are attempting to firm up partnerships with suppliers/ vendors as also aggregators (IT entrepreneurs). A revised MoU to facilitate such partnerships is on the anvil.

There is a possibility of the catering business being handed back to the IRCTC. Are you prepared for the responsibility?

Two expert committee reports — headed by Bibek Debroy and E Sreedharan — have made this recommendation. There is some preliminary thinking in the matter, I would say. We are confident of handling any responsibility, but this is a call that the political leadership will need to take.

What are your plans to shore up IRCTC finances? The budget hotels business is revving up. We have tied up with Apollo Chennai to facilitate medical tourism, while similar agreements are planned with Fortis and Medanta hospitals. Agreements on running more pilgrim and special trains are on the anvil. The Rail Neer business is being expanded. Internet ticketing continues to remain a major revenue earner. Following the success of the Executive Lounge initiative at the New Delhi railway station, we are proposing to set up similar facilities.

What are the initiatives being taken to boost rail tourism? Three glass-top coaches are in the process of being manufactured for use in the Maharaja Express, the most luxurious tourist train in the world. We will shortly firm up an agreement with the tourism ministry to run trains in Araku Valley in Vishakhapatnam and in Srinagar area. Vaishno Devi packages are being worked out, while the retirement room at the Katra railway station is in the process of being renovated. We are also designing packages for out-bound tourists for destinations such as Dubai, Malaysia and Thailand. About two years ago, a huge furore broke out when the judges declared that tourism would have to move out of core areas, and of many parts of protected areas.

Both tourists and operators were appalled, mostly stating that their presence discouraged poachers.

Then as now, I remain unsure