Indian Railways has announced that it will issue NFT-based train tickets to passengers traveling for the 2025 MahaKumbh Mela festival.
This announcement was made on January 13th in partnership with Chaincode Consulting, a leading blockchain development and consulting firm.
The MahaKumbh Mela festival, held once every 144 years, has become the second successful attempt for the Indian Railways. The first success in digitizing train tickets for passengers was the Holi festival in March 2024.
The partnership disclosed that the NFTs will be minted on the Polygon blockchain and traceable through NFTtrace.
The Choice of Minting on Polygon
Scalability, lower gas fees, and faster throughput are some of the reasons highlighted by the partnership in choosing Polygon.
Speaking on infusing new technology into traditional events, the CEO of Chaincode consulting, Alok Gupta, highlighted that this partnership with IRCTC and leveraging the Polygon blockchain creates a digital experience that expands the overall experience of the traditional and spiritual significance of the MahaKumbh 2025 that millions are gathering for.
According to IRCTC, over 1.2 million tickets are booked on its platform daily. If the initiative goes mainstream in the region for all trains, this could significantly increase NFT adoption. Prevalent issues like forgery and misplacement of train tickets could also be significantly reduced through NFTs.
The NFTs will be accessible to both the public and the authorities for verification processes. NFTtrace is the primary platform passengers can use to book and secure their NFTs for the MahaKumbh festival.
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