With technologies such as GPS tracking, lol-enabled sensors and Al-driven management systems, digitalisation is paving the way for a smarter and more connected transport ecosystem in India. The sector is rapidly adopting these new-age technologies to enhance efficiency, safety and sustainability. Modern solutions streamline daily operations, improve energy efficiency passenger experience, enable real-time updates, provide personalised services and optimise revenues. Notable efforts in the introduction of mobile apps for booking and tracking, online payment systems and tools for multi-modal operation. However, challenges such as high initial costs, system integration issues and low passenger adoption persist. To address these, organisations are focusing on phased deployment, robust cybersecurity measures and workforce training programmes. Looking ahead, the focus will likely remain on further integrating multi-modal transport, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring data security. In an interview with tele.net, Sriram Kannan, Co-Founder and CEO, Routematic, share his views on the digital solutions being deployed by their organisations, the major roadblocks they face and their digital roadmaps for the future…
How have ICT needs evolved in transportation over the last few years?
Over the past few years, the transportation landscape, especially corporate employee transport, has witnessed a fundamental shift from manual, schedule-based operations to data-driven, fully managed mobility ecosystems. Enterprises now expect automated scheduling, real-time tracking, strong safety mechanisms, seamless compliance, sustainability insights and audit-ready operations across multiple locations. Post-COVID hybrid work has further accelerated the need for technology-enabled, flexible end-to-end employee transport and fleet management solutions like Routematic that can adapt to fluctuating shift patterns and dynamic commute volumes. As such, employee transport has now become a critical business function, directly influencing productivity, retention, workplace experience, cost efficiency and environmental sustainability goals (ESG) commitments of organisations.
How are you leveraging technologies such as 5G, AI, IoT, cloud and blockchain? What are the notable use cases?
Routematic uses a modern, integrated technology stack to deliver enterprise-grade mobility. Our patented AI-driven routing, scheduling and fleet allocation engine forecasts traffic conditions, optimises pick-ups and drops, improves estimated time of arrival (ETAs) and automatically assigns the nearest available vehicles. For electronic vehicles (EVs), we use AI to monitor charging status, battery levels and station availability to ensure the right vehicle is deployed at the right time. This has delivered measurable impact. For example, our AI-powered deployment increased EV utilisation from 54 per cent to 78 per cent for a leading IT giant, helping them surpass ESG goals while also achieving a 10 per cent reduction in operational costs through smarter buffer fleet management. Our cloud-native platform manages rostering, bookings, tracking and billing seamlessly, while real-time global positioning system (GPS) tracking and safety features including SOS alerts, safe-drop workflows, driver verification and incident reporting enhance transparency and employee safety. These capabilities are anchored by our 24×7 Routematic Operations Command Centre, the nerve centre for real-time monitoring, incident management, driver performance oversight and service reliability at scale.
We also rely on automated billing, audit-ready trip logs and analytics to help organisations control transport costs, improve planning and stay compliant. Combined with our expanding EV fleet, shared-mobility model and sustainability dashboards, we help enterprises reduce emissions and advance their ESG goals. Together, these technologies enable us to deliver safe, reliable, cost-efficient and sustainable employee transport solutions for over 300 leading enterprises across India, reinforcing our position as a leader in the sector.
What major challenges have you experienced in terms of their adoption? How are you addressing them?
The main challenges lie in legacy vendor infrastructure, fragmented enterprise systems, and user adoption. We address these through standardised internet of thing (IoT) kits, application programming interface (API)-led integrations, a 24×7 command centre for real-time operations, and user-friendly apps that simplify driver and employee adoption. Our managed-services approach removes operational friction and ensures consistent safety and compliance across large fleets.
What top priorities will shape your digital roadmap over the next two-three years?
Over the next two to three years, our priority is to scale our operations deeper across major Indian IT and GCC hubs such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Delhi-NCR. A major focus will be on enhancing auditability, safety tech and compliance automation, supported by the expansion of our 24×7 Routematic Operations Command Centres. We will also continue to expand our EV fleet and sustainability capabilities to help enterprises meet their Scope 3 goals, while strengthening our AI powered solutions and mobility super-app to unify commute, shuttle, rentals, guest transport and parking.
Which key digital trends will impact the sector going forward?
As large tech firms, IT services companies, GCCs and corporates expand across India, the resulting surge in corporate commute demand is driving a rapid shift toward outsourced, tech-driven transport-as-a-service (TaaS) platforms capable of handling scale, complexity and compliance; an opportunity we at Routematic are well-positioned to capitalise on while delivering a seamless employee commute experience. Corporate sustainability mandates are also accelerating the shift towards EV-based employee transport, supported by deeper EV charging ecosystem integration. We will see AI-led predictive mobility become standard for planning and safety, alongside a rising need for traceability, compliance and employee-safety intelligence. The sector will also continue moving towards cloud-native, integrated mobility platforms that replace siloed systems and enable scalable, audit-ready transport operations across multiple locations.
