e-commerce
Rural India outpaces cities in cash usage and consumption: CMS report
INDIA: According to the fourth edition of the CMS Consumption Report released today, the nation’s consumption engine is warming up, powered by a resilient reliance on cash and a structural shift towards formal, value-oriented purchases.
While macro headwinds and GST reforms have shaken the table, households are rebalancing priorities rather than tightening belts. Travel remains the undisputed king of the wallet, gobbling up Rs 37 of every Rs 100 spent. However, a new cautiousness has crept in: insurance has leapfrogged to the second-highest priority at Rs 25, as risk awareness takes root in the national psyche.
The real story, however, lies in the hinterlands. Semi-urban and rural India (SURU) are now outpacing metros in cash usage, with average monthly ATM withdrawals hitting Rs 1.30 crore compared to the Rs 1.18 crore seen in the big smoke. This isn’t just a festive fluke; it is a structural shift. Rural consumption expenditure has grown at 9.2 per cent annually since 2012, faster than the 8.5 per cent seen in urban centres.
Despite the digital surge, the physical shopfront is fighting back. Organised retail chains saw a 22 per cent jump in cash pickups, as 56 per cent of urban shoppers still prefer the tactile thrill of the store. Even as inflation hit a historic low of 0.25 per cent in October 2025, the Indian consumer remains deliberate, trading transient splurges for utility and protection.
MUMBAI: From flights to tracks, Cleartrip is now trying to keep every journey on the same ticket. Cleartrip, part of Flipkart, has launched train ticket bookings through a partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, marking its entry into India’s vast rail travel ecosystem.
The integration allows users to search, book and manage train journeys directly within the app, as the company pushes towards becoming a unified, multi-modal travel platform. The move plugs Cleartrip into one of the world’s largest transportation networks, where over 800 million reserved passengers travel annually, alongside a daily footfall of around 23 million across Indian Railways.
The offering includes bookings across routes nationwide, covering General and Tatkal quotas as per Ministry of Railways guidelines. Users can also access real-time seat availability, fare insights, PNR status tracking, berth preferences and digital payment options within a single interface.
The expansion reflects a broader shift in travel platforms from specialising in a single mode to stitching together end-to-end journeys. For Cleartrip, the bet is not just on scale, but on simplifying a system often seen as complex and fragmented.
Company executives said the focus is on embedding predictive intelligence and personalisation into the booking journey, aiming to make everything from discovery to post-booking support faster and more intuitive.
The train booking feature is currently live on the app, with plans to extend it to the web platform soon, signalling a push towards a seamless cross-platform experience.
In a country where railways move billions each year, the next battleground for travel apps may well be decided not in the skies, but on the tracks.
