Three years after launch, KSRTC issues tender for State-wide Shakti Card system

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The tender covers around 26,054 buses across the four STUs, approximately 1.2 crore passenger boardings a day and around 75.68 lakh Shakti free journeys per day. | Photo Credit: File Photo

Finally, three years after launching the Shakti Scheme, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has issued a tender to implement a State-wide smart ticketing and card-based system aimed at digitally verifying journeys made under the Shakti free bus travel scheme and streamlining reimbursement claims.

The tender, issued on September 28, seeks to appoint a System Integrator to design, build, supply, integrate, operate and maintain the new smart ticketing ecosystem for KSRTC, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).

On June 4, 2026, The Hindu first reported on the State government planning to introduce a Unified Shakti smart card soon.

At the centre of the proposed system is a personalised, non-transferable Shakti Card, which will be issued on the 1K card profile. The card is intended to digitally establish a beneficiary’s eligibility and record each free journey, replacing the present system in which conductors visually verify government-issued identity documents.

According to officials, every Shakti journey will generate a digitally verifiable transaction record containing details such as the operating STU, route, service, depot, vehicle, device and location, along with the notional fare that would have been charged.

“The proposed system is designed to address concerns around the verification and reimbursement of Shakti journeys. The four STUs currently operate separate electronic ticketing machine (ETM) systems and do not have a common transaction record or mechanism for settling value between the corporations,” a senior official said.

“The new system will introduce a Central Clearing House (CCH) to validate transactions, process entitlement claims and facilitate clearing and settlement between the four corporations. It will also maintain an independently auditable record of journeys and reimbursement-related data,” the official added.

The tender covers around 26,054 buses across the four STUs, approximately 1.2 crore passenger boardings a day and around 75.68 lakh Shakti free journeys per day. It also provides for approximately 40,000 ETMs, with the system designed to accommodate further growth.

Enrolment will be done through Seva Sindhu and other e-governance portals, including electronic KYC verification. Beneficiaries without digital access will also be able to enrol through corporation counters and authorised agents, the tender document states.

The proposed system will also support National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) integration, although the tender treats the NCMC as a separate fare medium from the Shakti Card. The Shakti Card, the proposed 4K interoperable paid card and NCMC/open-loop payment media will be designed to work through the same ticketing infrastructure and field devices, with transactions processed through the common fare engine and Central Clearing House.

The tender also includes a dedicated NCMC Integration (WP 4) work package, with the system designed to support future interoperability with other public transport systems such as Namma Metro and K-RIDE.

The reimbursement mechanism is another major component. According to officials, the proposed system will be capable of calculating Shakti reimbursement claims based on different methods, including the full notional fare, incremental cost, a per-journey flat rate or combinations determined by the government. The system will also generate claim files and maintain Shakti journey records for at least seven years for audit purposes.

Launched on June 11, 2023, as the first of the Congress government’s five guarantee schemes, the Shakti programme provides free travel for women, transgender persons and students on non-premium buses operated by State-run transport corporations.

Since its introduction, the initiative has become one of Karnataka’s most widely utilised welfare programmes and was recognised by the Golden Book of World Records for facilitating free travel for the highest number of women passengers under a public transport scheme.

The Karnataka government is planning to introduce smart cards for women beneficiaries of the Shakti scheme within two months, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said on Wednesday.

“There had been reports of women from other States availing themselves of free travel under the scheme. The smart card system is being introduced to restrict the benefit to women from Karnataka and make their travel more effective,” the Minister said.

He said that the government had completed the tender process for the first phase of issuing smart cards to one crore women. The cards are expected to be ready and distributed within two months.

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