Ebix Travels Sees Smaller Cities Drive 40% of Corporate Bookings in H1 FY26

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

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September 2, 2026 9:26 PM

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Ebix Travels says smaller cities drove 40% of corporate bookings in H1 FY26, as India’s business travel map shifts beyond metros, with Surat, Indore and Vijayawada gaining corporate momentum.

India’s corporate travel market is entering a broader phase of expansion, with business journeys increasingly spreading beyond the country’s established metropolitan centres. Ebix Travels, the travel business of Ebix, says 40% of its corporate bookings originated from or were routed to smaller cities during H1 FY26, highlighting how changing business activity is reshaping corporate mobility across India.

The development points to a significant change in the geography of business travel. For years, corporate travel in India was strongly concentrated around major commercial centres such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. However, expanding manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, services and regional business networks are creating demand in a much wider group of cities.

Smaller cities become a bigger part of corporate travel

The 40% contribution recorded by Ebix Travels during the first half of FY26 provides a clear indication of the growing relevance of non-metro locations in corporate travel planning.

The company’s booking pattern reflects a wider industry movement. Nearly 60% of corporate bookings in H1 FY26 were reportedly linked to non-metro routes, suggesting that business travel is no longer confined to conventional metropolitan corridors.

This change is closely connected with the way Indian companies are expanding. Businesses are establishing manufacturing units, project offices, technology operations, distribution networks and service centres in locations outside the largest cities. As those operations grow, employees, managers, suppliers, consultants and clients need to move between corporate centres and regional locations.

In practical terms, that means more flights, hotel stays, rail journeys, ground transportation and other travel services are being required across a broader geographical footprint.

For corporate travel companies, the shift creates both an opportunity and a challenge. They must be able to support employees travelling to destinations where travel infrastructure, inventory and connectivity can differ significantly from that available in major cities.

India’s corporate travel market continues to expand

The rise in non-metro travel is taking place against a positive outlook for India’s wider corporate travel market. Industry estimates indicate that the market could grow by approximately 11–12% in FY26, supported by business expansion, manufacturing activity, improving regional connectivity and the emergence of corporate corridors beyond traditional metropolitan centres.

The expected growth is important because corporate travel is closely tied to economic activity. When companies invest in new facilities, enter new markets or expand existing operations, travel often becomes necessary to establish and maintain those networks.

Employees may need to visit factories, construction sites, regional offices, warehouses, customer locations or project sites. Senior executives may travel to meet partners and clients. Sales teams may visit markets that were previously less significant to their organisations.

Consequently, the expansion of business activity across India is creating a more distributed pattern of corporate travel.

Surat, Indore and Vijayawada gain momentum

Several emerging business centres are becoming more visible on the corporate travel map.

Surat, Indore and Vijayawada have emerged among the cities experiencing increased corporate travel activity, alongside other developing business centres such as Nagpur.

Each of these locations forms part of a wider story about economic activity moving beyond India’s biggest metropolitan areas. Their growing corporate relevance demonstrates how regional economies can generate travel demand as companies establish deeper operational links.

Manufacturing is particularly important in this transition. Industrial activity creates a continuous requirement for travel involving executives, technical teams, vendors, contractors and clients. Infrastructure projects can generate similar movements, while technology and service businesses can create new links between regional centres and national headquarters.

The result is a network of business travel corridors that is becoming more complex.

Instead of a travel model built largely around movement between a handful of major cities, companies increasingly need to manage journeys involving several combinations of metropolitan and smaller-city destinations.

Technology becomes critical for distributed travel

As corporate travel becomes more geographically dispersed, technology is becoming increasingly important for employers.

Businesses need visibility over employee travel, while travellers expect convenience, reliable options and support throughout their journeys. Companies also need to maintain control over spending, compliance and travel policies.

Ebix Travels says its corporate travel offering uses technology-led solutions to help businesses manage these requirements. The objective is to provide employees with travel support while giving organisations greater oversight of their corporate mobility.

This becomes particularly relevant when travel networks extend into smaller cities. A company may have employees travelling from a major metropolitan centre to a regional business location, followed by additional journeys to nearby industrial or project sites.

Managing such movement manually can become complicated as travel volumes increase. Technology can help businesses organise bookings, improve visibility and simplify the administration associated with corporate mobility.

The broader implication is that corporate travel management is evolving from a booking function into a more integrated business-support activity.

Business expansion is changing where employees travel

Latika Bolar, Business Head – Ebix Travels, said the changing pattern reflects the broader distribution of economic activity across India.

“Business travel is ultimately a reflection of where business is happening,” she said. “What we are seeing is a more distributed business landscape and, consequently, a more distributed travel landscape.”

Bolar added that as companies expand their operations across locations, travel becomes increasingly important for keeping teams connected, projects moving and businesses operating efficiently.

Her comments underline a fundamental relationship between economic geography and travel demand. When commercial activity changes location, the travel infrastructure supporting that activity must adapt.

For travel management companies, this means understanding not only where travellers are going today but also where businesses are building their next operational centres.

Why non-metro corporate travel matters

The growing role of smaller cities has implications beyond individual booking numbers.

For airlines and other transport providers, stronger corporate demand can support additional connectivity between regional destinations and established business hubs. For hotels, increased corporate movement can create demand for accommodation in markets that previously depended more heavily on leisure or local business.

Travel agents and corporate travel management companies can also benefit as companies seek consistent service across multiple locations.

There is another important dimension. Better corporate connectivity can make smaller cities more attractive to businesses considering expansion. If employees, customers and partners can travel more efficiently, companies may find it easier to operate outside the largest metropolitan centres.

This can contribute to a cycle in which business expansion supports travel demand, while improved connectivity makes further business expansion easier.

Corporate travel is becoming more distributed

The figures from Ebix Travels point towards a structural change rather than a short-term shift.

A 40% share of corporate bookings connected with smaller cities during H1 FY26 indicates that regional destinations have become a meaningful component of corporate mobility. Meanwhile, the reported 60% share of bookings linked to non-metro routes across the wider market reinforces the broader direction.

The distinction is important. Smaller-city travel does not necessarily replace metropolitan business travel. Instead, it adds new layers to the existing network.

Corporate travellers will continue to move between major financial, technology and administrative centres. At the same time, they are increasingly travelling into manufacturing zones, regional commercial centres, infrastructure locations and emerging business markets.

This creates a more interconnected travel ecosystem.

“Business travel is ultimately a reflection of where business is happening. What we are seeing is a more distributed business landscape and, consequently, a more distributed travel landscape. As companies expand their operations across locations, travel becomes an increasingly important part of keeping teams connected, projects moving and businesses running efficiently. For us, this reinforces the need to provide enterprises with technology-led travel solutions that can support their employees wherever business takes them,” said Latika Bolar, Business Head – Ebix Travels.

The cause is India’s expanding business footprint, with companies building operations, projects and teams beyond major metropolitan centres. The answer is a corporate travel ecosystem that can connect employees and businesses across both established hubs and emerging destinations. The reason is straightforward: when business moves, people move with it. Manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and services are creating more journeys to regional markets, increasing demand for transport, accommodation and travel management. Consequently, smaller cities are becoming commercially important travel destinations rather than occasional stops. Ebix Travels’ H1 FY26 figures illustrate this change, while stronger regional connectivity can further accelerate the cycle.

What the trend means for India’s travel industry

The continued expansion of corporate travel beyond metros could influence how the industry plans capacity, accommodation, technology and service delivery.

Airlines may see opportunities to strengthen regional connections. Hotels can develop products suited to corporate travellers in emerging markets. Travel management companies can expand local support while improving centralised technology and reporting.

For businesses, the priority will be ensuring that employees can travel efficiently without losing visibility over costs and policy compliance.

The opportunity is therefore broader than simply selling more tickets or rooms. It involves building a travel ecosystem capable of supporting a business economy that is becoming geographically wider.

Ebix Travels’ H1 FY26 booking data offers a useful snapshot of that transition. The company’s experience suggests that smaller cities are now firmly part of the corporate travel conversation.

A changing map of business mobility

India’s corporate travel landscape is likely to remain closely linked to the country’s economic expansion. As companies establish operations in new locations, travel demand will naturally follow.

The growing importance of Surat, Indore, Vijayawada and Nagpur illustrates the potential of emerging business centres to develop stronger links with established corporate hubs.

For the travel industry, the message is straightforward: the corporate traveller is no longer defined by a small group of metropolitan routes.

The next phase of growth will increasingly depend on how effectively the industry connects businesses, employees and regional markets across a larger and more diverse network of destinations.

Ebix Travels’ 40% smaller-city booking contribution therefore provides a clear indicator of where corporate mobility is heading. India’s business travel map is expanding, and the country’s smaller cities are becoming an increasingly important part of that journey.

Ebix Travels’ H1 FY26 booking figures underline a major change in India’s corporate travel geography. Smaller cities now account for a substantial share of corporate bookings, reflecting wider economic expansion. Surat, Indore and Vijayawada are among the emerging destinations gaining corporate momentum, while Nagpur is also becoming more prominent. The trend creates opportunities for airlines, hotels and travel management companies as businesses build wider operational networks. At the same time, enterprises require technology that delivers visibility, convenience and control across increasingly complex journeys. Overall, India’s corporate travel market is becoming more distributed, with regional business centres playing a larger role.