Viacom Competitive Intelligence & Landscape

Via.com (via.com) is an online travel company incorporated in February 2007 in Bangalore, India. It operates as a leading distributor of travel products and services, driven by technology, demand aggregation for better buying, and forward cash flows [https://in.via.com/go/world/about]. The company positions itself as a comprehensive travel partner for its customers.

Via.com offers a wide range of core products and services including booking flights, hotels, bus tickets, and holiday packages [https://via.com/]. Customers can book cheap air tickets to destinations worldwide, with a best price guarantee and the ability to find both budget and full-service airlines in one search [https://via.com/]. The platform also features a selection of over 1,000 best-rated hotels, ranging from budget-friendly to luxurious resorts [https://via.com/]. Additionally, Via.com provides services for Forex and Cabs, and handles enquiries for international cruises.

The target market for Via.com includes individual customers seeking travel arrangements, as well as corporate clients across India. The company boasts a significant customer base, with 10 Crore (100 million) customers trusting Via.com for their travel needs. It also has an extensive network of 1,00,000 (100,000) travel partners across 2400 cities and towns, and serves 5,000 corporate clients across India [https://in.via.com/go/world/about].

Via.com emphasizes convenience and savings, offering 24x365 days free phone assistance and an easy three-step booking process [https://in.via.com/].

Via.com's mission is to be a fast-growing and profitable travel company in Asia's online space. They aim to provide customers with a seamless and affordable travel booking experience, leveraging technology to offer competitive prices and a wide selection of travel options. They also offer a mobile app, which is used by over 1 million customers [https://in.via.com/].

Via.com (via.com) primarily operates as an online travel and hospitality ticketing service, offering bookings for flights, hotels, holidays, buses, forex, cabs, and cruises. The platform emphasizes affordability, with flight deals such as Bangalore to Delhi from Rs. 3099 and Delhi to Bangkok from Rs. 2905. Customers can earn Via Points on every booking, which likely serves as a loyalty program providing discounts or benefits for future travel.

For additional travel protection, Via.com offers travel insurance with various coverage levels at an affordable price. These insurance plans can include benefits like cashless hospitalization, coverage for baggage loss, medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, and personal accident benefits. Specific sum insured amounts and deductibles are detailed, such as INR 100,000 for hospitalization expenses due to injury, and INR 10,000 for checked-in baggage loss. Trip delay benefits are also available, with INR 5,000 for a 6-hour delay.

While specific pricing tiers for core travel services are dynamic and depend on routes and dates, the platform highlights attractive discounts and Bonus Points for hotel reservations. For cab bookings, Via.com offers both one-way and round-trip outstation options. Standard terms include not needing to pay toll or state taxes to the driver for all-inclusive bookings, while parking and airport entry charges are excluded and must be paid directly. Exceeding a trip's kilometer limit incurs an additional charge of Rs. 10/km.

Via.com also caters to group bookings; for more than 9 passengers, customers are advised to email my@via.com as such bookings are treated as a group. Baggage limits and excess luggage charges are airline-dependent, with customers encouraged to contact the airline directly. The company also promotes various offers and promo codes across its product categories, including flights, hotels, buses, and holidays, which are regularly updated on its

Viacom (via.com) is actively recruiting, indicating a focus on expanding its workforce across various departments and regions. The company lists numerous job openings, particularly for roles related to sales and customer operations. For instance, there are positions for "Assistant Manager/Manager-Hotel and Holiday sales" in multiple Indian cities including Bangalore, Kolkata, and Mumbai, requiring 3-8 years of experience [https://corp.via.com/go/world/careers]. Additionally, Viacom is seeking "International Airlines Ticketing Staff" to handle inbound customer calls and resolve queries in Indonesia [https://id.via.com/_about?type=Careers].

The company's hiring strategy appears to be geared towards strengthening its travel network and customer service capabilities. Current openings in the Philippines include roles in Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Caloocan, Marikina, Navotas, Valenzuela, Nueva Ecija, and Pasay [https://ph.via.com/_about?type=Careers]. These diverse geographical listings suggest a broad hiring initiative, emphasizing a commitment to enhancing its travel services globally.

Viacom promotes itself as an innovative company that offers a dynamic work environment with opportunities for internal growth and hands-on experience in travel technology and retail business setups [https://id.via.com/bdo?action1=MY_ACCOUNTS]. They express a belief in fostering a culture where employees are groomed to be leaders and are committed to maintaining a diverse, integrated workforce of over 650 team members [https://in.via.com/go/world/about]. There is no information available to suggest any recent layoffs; instead, the focus is clearly on recruitment and expansion, reinforcing its position as a significant player in the online travel industry.

Via.com (formerly known as FlightRaja Travels Private Limited), incorporated in February 2007 in Bangalore, India, has established itself as a fast-growing and profitable online travel company in Asia. The company aggregates demand and utilizes forward cash flows to drive its growth in the online space [corp.via.com/go/world/about]. It serves a substantial customer base, with 10 crore customers trusting Via.com for their travel needs and 1 million customers using its mobile app [corp.via.com/go/world/about, via.com]. Furthermore, Via.com boasts an extensive network of 100,000 travel partners across 2400 cities and towns and serves 5,000 corporate clients across India [corp.via.com/go/world/about].

Regarding fundraising and financial backing, Via.com is supported by Indo US Venture Partners, a prominent venture capital firm.

Indo US Venture Partners specializes in providing early and mid-stage funding to emerging and expanding businesses in India [corp.via.com/go/world/investors]. The firm comprises experienced entrepreneurs and executives who contribute to incubating ideas and fostering their transformation within the business landscape [corp.via.com/go/world/investors].

Via.com has a notable management history, including the appointment of V Swaminathan as CEO in January 2013, with Vinay Gupta, the founder and director, transitioning to Chairman. Swaminathan had previously served as COO of Via.com [corp.via.com/go/world/press]. The company's global presence extends beyond India to countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and UAE, and it operates through a network of over 90,000 independent re-sellers [sgb2b.via.com/corporate]. This extensive network enables Via.com to distribute a wide array of travel products, including air travel, train tickets, hotels, holiday packages, buses, car rentals, insurance, mobile recharges, money transfers, and bill payments [sgb2b.via.com/corporate].

Viacom (via.com) actively participates in and hosts various events, demonstrating its commitment to its travel agent partners and the broader travel industry. The company organizes "Grow with Via" gatherings for its partners, which have been held in multiple cities across Indonesia including Bali, Balikpapan, Samarinda, Medan, Jakarta, Makassar, Solo, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Riau, and Lombok. These events, often supported by partners like AXA Insurance Indonesia and CHUBB LIFE, serve as platforms for networking and collaboration within the travel agent community ["Antusiasme Luar Biasa di Gathering Grow with Via di Makassar" (https://blogid.via.com/antusiasme-luar-biasa-di-gathering-grow-with-via-di-makassar/), "Telah Berlangsung: Gathering Seru GROW with Via.com Indonesia dan AXA Insurance Indonesia di Medan!" (https://blogid.via.com/telah-berlangsung-gathering-seru-grow-with-via-com-indonesia-dan-axa-insurance-indonesia-di-medan/), "Via.com Indonesia dan Scoot Airlines Adakan Gathering Travel Agent di Lombok" (https://blogid.via.com/via-com-indonesia-dan-scoot-airlines-adakan-gathering-travel-agent-di-lombok/), "GROW WITH VIA.COM HADIR DI SOLO-SEMARANG-YOGYAKARTA" (https://blogid.via.com/grow-with-via-com-hadir-di-solo-semarang-yogyakarta/), "Via.com Gelar Road Show “Berkembang Bersama via.com” di 3 Kota" (https://blogid.via.com/via-com-gelar-road-show-berkembang-bersama-via-com-di-3-kota/)].

Viacom also hosts webinars to keep its partners informed and engaged, especially concerning relevant industry topics. For instance, they conducted a webinar in collaboration with Garuda Indonesia to discuss flight policies and conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic ["WEBINAR BERSAMA GARUDA INDONESIA" (https://blogid.via.com/webinar-terbang-nyaman-bersama-garuda/), "Tidak bisa dipungkiri bahwa pandemi telah memberikan dampak besar pada industri perjalanan." (https://blogid.via.com/12-tahun-via-com-di-indonesia-mari-melompat-lebih-tinggi/)]. These webinars highlight the company's commitment to supporting its network with crucial information and adapting to industry changes.

In addition to educational events, Viacom organizes recognition events for its top-performing partners. An example is the "Awarding Night & Gala Dinner" held in collaboration with Qatar Airways, where Viacom honored its top 20 contributors with awards for their high transaction volumes for Qatar Airways flights ["Setelah mendapatkan penghargaan sebagai Top Performing Agent tahun 2022—2023 dari Qatar Airways pada Maret lalu" (https://blogid.via.com/awarding-night-momen-apresiasi-dari-via-com-indonesia-dan-qatar-airways-bagi-mitra-via-com/)]. These events aim to appreciate and motivate its partners, fostering strong relationships within its business ecosystem.

Viacom also features a dedicated MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) service on its platform, catering to both domestic and international event needs. This indicates that the company itself is involved in facilitating and perhaps organizing such events, showcasing a comprehensive approach to event participation and services ["MICE" (https://krm.via.com/mice)].