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By Nishang Narayan
Published on August 18, 2024
In today's data-driven world, access to market intelligence is crucial for staying ahead, particularly in the competitive hotel industry. For far too long, vital metrics such as city demand trends, price predictions, and market opportunities have been the exclusive domain of top-tier hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton. This disparity has left small and mid-sized hotels at a significant disadvantage—until now.
Enter Stayflexi, a Y Combinator-backed company dedicated to leveling the playing field. In line with its mission to empower independent hotels, Stayflexi has launched the Empower tool, a groundbreaking solution designed to close this critical gap in the market.
The Empower tool is nothing short of a game-changer, offering three intelligent features: City Demand Trends, Price Predictions, and Competitor Analysis. These features work together seamlessly, allowing hotels to dynamically adjust room prices and optimize revenue based on real-time demand fluctuations.
Unpacking the Empower Tool
City Demand Trends: This feature provides hoteliers with a comprehensive view of demand patterns in their city. By analyzing data from multiple sources, the Empower tool identifies peak periods, low seasons, and emerging trends. This insight enables hotel operators to plan ahead, capitalizing on high-demand periods and strategizing effectively during slower times.
Price Predictions: Leveraging advanced algorithms and historical data, the Empower tool forecasts future room rates with remarkable accuracy. This predictive capability helps hoteliers set competitive yet profitable pricing, avoiding the pitfalls of overpricing or underpricing rooms. By aligning room rates with market demand, hotels can maximize occupancy and revenue.
Competitor Analysis: In a competitive industry, understanding the strategies of nearby hotels is crucial. The Empower tool offers in-depth competitor analysis, providing data on pricing, occupancy rates, and promotional activities of rival hotels. This feature enables hoteliers to benchmark their performance and adjust their strategies accordingly, ensuring they remain competitive in their local market.
Integration with Stayflexi Hubs
The Empower tool seamlessly integrates with Stayflexi's comprehensive platform, divided into four hubs: Operations, Sales, Guest, and Payments. Each hub addresses specific aspects of hotel management, and the addition of the Empower tool enhances the overall value proposition for hoteliers.
Operations Hub: Comprising the Property Management System (PMS), Point of Sale (POS), Expenses Manager, and Inventory Manager, this hub automates up to 70 percent of manual tasks. By integrating the Empower tool, the Operations Hub now provides additional data-driven insights that streamline operations further. For instance, predictive data from Empower can inform inventory and staffing decisions, reducing waste and optimizing resources.
Sales Hub: This hub includes the Channel Manager (CM), Booking Engine (BE), Revenue Manager (RM), and Direct Billing products. Historically, Stayflexi's Sales Hub has boosted hotel revenues by 35 to 50 percent. With the Empower tool, the Sales Hub's capabilities are amplified. The price predictions and competitor analysis features ensure that hotels can set optimal rates and implement effective sales strategies, driving higher bookings and revenue.
Guest Hub: Featuring Magic Link for automated check-ins and check-outs, QR Kiosk, Guest Reviews, and Guest Messaging, the Guest Hub focuses on enhancing the guest experience. Empower's city demand trends can inform guest engagement strategies, such as targeted promotions during high-demand periods or personalized offers during low seasons, thereby improving guest satisfaction and loyalty.
Payments Hub: This hub consists of Flex Collect, Flex Pay, Flex Settle, and Flex Protect, automating end-to-end hotel payments and reducing cancellations. By integrating Empower's predictive capabilities, hotels can anticipate revenue streams more accurately, manage cash flow better, and reduce financial uncertainties.
Affordable Innovation for All
One of the standout features of the Empower tool is its affordability. Traditionally, access to such sophisticated market intelligence required substantial financial investment, often running into lakhs of rupees, placing it out of reach for many small and mid-sized hotels. Stayflexi, however, has made the Empower tool accessible to all, offering a powerful solution at a fraction of the cost typically associated with similar tools.
An Exclusive Offer for ET Readers
To celebrate the launch, Stayflexi is offering a free one-month demo of the Empower tool, allowing hoteliers to experience firsthand the transformative impact of advanced market intelligence. This trial period is an excellent opportunity for hotels to explore the tool's features, understand its benefits, and see how it can drive their business forward. Hoteliers interested in this exclusive offer can reach out to Stayflexi at info@stayflexi.com.
In an era where data and intelligence are paramount, Stayflexi's Empower tool stands out as a revolutionary product for small and mid-tier hotels. By providing insights previously only available to top-tier brands, Stayflexi is democratizing access to crucial market intelligence. The integration of the Empower tool with Stayflexi's existing hubs creates a comprehensive, all-in-one platform that addresses every aspect of hotel management. As a result, hoteliers can operate more efficiently, compete more effectively, and ultimately thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
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By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Published on August 25, 2026
Zoomcar and Uber have joined hands to make road trip planning easier by bringing self-drive and chauffeur-driven travel options together on the Zoomcar app. Travelers searching for a self-drive car on Zoomcar can now also discover and book Uber Intercity rides if they prefer to travel with a driver. This allows users to compare both options in one place and choose what works best for their journey.
The partnership brings together two different ways to travel across select routes, with options available for both one-way and round trips. It is aimed at travelers who value flexibility, convenience and access over vehicle ownership. The integration is now live in Bengaluru, Delhi NCR and Mumbai, with plans to expand to more cities over time.
Deepankar Tiwari, Chief Executive Officer, Zoomcar Holdings, Inc., said: “Zoomcar is where India’s most intentional travelers come to plan how they move. Some of them want the freedom of a self-drive car. Others, on other days or other trips, want the comfort of being driven. Both needs are valid, and both deserve a world-class experience. By partnering with Uber, we’re making sure that when a Zoomcar user faces that choice, they don’t have to leave our platform to find the answer. That’s what serving the traveler fully looks like.”
Rishant Ghosh, Director of Consumer & Growth, Uber India & South Asia, said: "Uber Intercity has increasingly become the preferred choice for travel across cities, with demand growing across Tier-2 and metro markets alike. We're also seeing more Indians choose road trips for weekend getaways, family visits and holidays. Through this partnership with Zoomcar, we're making Uber Intercity accessible to even more travelers, giving them another convenient way to book reliable, comfortable outstation rides."
The partnership reflects a wider change in how Indian travelers are approaching mobility. Instead of owning a vehicle, more consumers are choosing flexible, on-demand options based on what each journey requires.
For one trip, travelers may prefer the freedom of driving themselves through Zoomcar. On another, they may want to sit back and let an Uber Intercity driver take care of the journey. By bringing these two options together, the partnership gives travelers more flexibility when planning road trips. The same traveler can choose to drive on one journey and be driven on the next, depending on the occasion and their travel needs.
With both options available through the Zoomcar app, the collaboration aims to make road travel more convenient while giving Indian travelers greater choice for weekend getaways, family visits and holidays.
By Hariharan U
Published on August 22, 2026
Indus Towers Limited, in collaboration with the Bharti Airtel Foundation, has strengthened digital learning infrastructure at GC CRPF Guwahati Montessori School in Assam with the installation of two K-YAN digital learning devices.
Located within the CRPF Campus at 9 Mile, Guwahati, the initiative aims to create a more engaging, interactive and future-ready learning environment for students. The intervention is expected to benefit 114 students by providing enhanced access to technology-enabled and experiential learning opportunities.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ms. Neelam Dhyani, Head, Regional CRPF Family Welfare Association, who graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The programme also saw the participation of Shri Rajender Gurung, Circle CEO (NESA), Indus Towers Limited, representatives of Bharti Airtel Foundation, CRPF officials, school representatives, teachers and students.
Speaking on the initiative, Ms. Neelam Dhyani highlighted the role of technology in creating more dynamic and enriching learning environments. She said that access to quality education and modern learning tools can help children develop curiosity, improve understanding and engage more actively in the classroom.
Shri Rajender Gurung said that education remains an important enabler of social transformation and that technology can play a significant role in making learning more accessible, engaging and inclusive. He added that the K-YAN devices are expected to support teachers with innovative classroom tools while helping students develop digital skills and confidence for the future.
The initiative is designed to support educators in delivering curriculum content more effectively while encouraging digital literacy, experiential learning and classroom participation. It reflects the shared commitment of Indus Towers, Bharti Airtel Foundation and the CRPF community towards strengthening educational infrastructure and creating future-ready learning environments.
Mr. Sameer Shah, Head, Higher Education and Strategic Relations, Bharti Airtel Foundation, said the Foundation remains focused on enabling equitable access to quality education through innovative and scalable solutions. He noted that technology can make classroom learning more engaging and effective while helping students build competencies required for the future.
The K-YAN platform is an integrated digital classroom solution combining a computer, projector, audio system and interactive learning capabilities in a single portable unit. Its multimedia-based approach enables teachers to create more immersive classroom sessions while giving students greater opportunities to engage with digital content.
The programme concluded with the ceremonial handover of the K-YAN devices, addresses by dignitaries and discussions on the role of technology in improving teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes.
Through the initiative, Indus Towers and Bharti Airtel Foundation continue to support technology-enabled education and contribute towards building more inclusive and future-ready learning environments for students.
Published on August 19, 2026
Uber has announced the launch of Train Ticket Booking on the Uber app in partnership with ixigo, India’s leading AI-native travel platform. The new feature allows riders to book train tickets, check PNR status and manage their first and last-mile travel connections through a single app.
The launch marks another step in Uber’s growing focus on expanding its intercity travel offerings in India. By combining ixigo’s train booking technology with Uber’s mobility services, the partnership aims to make long-distance travel planning easier and more connected for passengers.
Train travel continues to be one of India’s most preferred modes of transportation, with Indian Railways carrying 741 crore passengers in FY2025–26. As online train ticket booking continues to grow, Uber and ixigo are bringing together train reservations and local mobility solutions to offer a smoother travel experience from the starting point to the final destination.
Commenting on the partnership, Arnab Kumar, Director, Business Development, Uber India and South Asia, said, "Train journeys are an integral part of how India travels. For millions of people, the journey starts well before they board the train and continues long after they arrive at their destination. With Train Ticket Booking on the Uber app, riders can now book their train tickets, check their PNR status, and seamlessly connect to and from the railway station, all within a single app. We’re pleased to partner with ixigo to bring together their expertise in train ticketing with Uber’s mobility platform, making the overall travel experience more seamless and convenient for riders.”
Sharing their views on the partnership, Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO and Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO, ixigo, said, “As India's largest OTA in the train category, our focus has always been on making rail travel simpler, more reliable and stress-free. Beyond booking tickets, we've continued to invest in a seamless post-booking experience, better customer support and innovative features that give travellers greater peace of mind throughout their journey. By partnering with Uber, we're extending that experience beyond the train itself, enabling travellers to plan their journey seamlessly from their doorstep to their destination.”
Uber already has a strong presence at railway stations across India, offering dedicated pickup and drop-off zones at locations ranging from Ahmedabad in the West, Secunderabad in the South and Howrah in the East, with more railway stations expected to be added soon.
With the introduction of Train Ticket Booking, Uber is extending its railway station connectivity services to support travellers throughout their entire journey. The company’s multimodal mobility platform now includes Moto, Auto, Cars, Metro, Intercity Cars, Intercity Buses and Train Ticket Booking.
Through this expansion, Uber aims to become a single platform for different travel needs, helping riders move more conveniently across cities and across the country.
● Open the Uber app.● Select ‘Bus & Train’ from the home screen or Services section, then choose train tickets.● Enter the origin, destination and travel date.● Browse available trains and select the preferred option.● Complete the booking through the app.● Access ticket details and check PNR status directly within Uber.● Book an Uber ride to and from the railway station for a seamless travel experience.
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