India Assist: Making travel in India safer & simpler

Eyes expansion overseas by 2025

A platform dedicated to enhancing safety and enriching experiences of Indian and foreign travellers in India, and helping them navigate the complexities of their journeys, India Assist has already helped 100,000 travellers and is now present in 140 towns and cities across India.

In 2013, in a bustling cafe in New York, Harish Khatri, then a sports marketing professional, already had worked with Group M, US based media investment group and Deccan Chargers, dissolved IPL team, at senior positions, was catching up with friends when one question struck a nerve: “Is India safe to travel?” Frustrated by the lack of clear answers, he realised that travellers often venture into unknown territories without adequate support. Curious about the resources available, he searched the key words “India Assist” on Google but found nothing.

The absence of a company or organisation that could help people find verified information and trusted assistance in the travel and tourism industry left him perplexed. How could people exploring a new city or country be left to navigate challenges on their own? This moment of reflection sparked an idea that would change the travel experience for many.

The idea stuck with him even when he left New York and came back to India. After toying with it for a while, he began developing an app that could have the answers to his questions in 2015 and formally formed the company, India Assist, in 2017.

“It is such an obvious idea; we all have been travelling all our lives. And we all have stories like, we have been to a city and we faced some issues which we had to struggle with. The issue has always been in front of our eyes, but we were all blind to it. Not even the travellers realised that they needed such a service,” Khatri tells India&You.

Khatri says he envisioned an application that would connect travellers to the necessary authorities, provide essential support, help them navigate a new city, get through language and cultural barriers and much more.

By bridging the gap between tourists and local officials, amenities and much more, India Assist ensures that every journey is safe, informed, and enriching, transforming the way people experience travel in India.

“How a traveller from another country, coming to India for the first time, would know that 100 and 112 are emergency numbers for Police and Ambulance respectively. A country’s infrastructure is designed for the citizens. All solutions are available in every city, from hospitals to embassies, but there is no one to guide the travellers, to help them reach the solutions. This is what we at India Assist do, we help travellers reach the solution to their problem in quick and safe manner,” he adds.

Challenges encountered

Khatri discussed the numerous challenges he and his team encountered during the formative years of India Assist.

“The biggest challenge we faced was designing the application. I envisioned a platform that would connect users with authorities or services at the touch of a button, accessible to everyone, from children to seniors. Coming from a non-tech background, I initially saw no limits, I believed everything was possible. However, that was not the case,” says Khatri.

“We quickly realised the complexities involved. To create an interface so simple and easy to use was the most complicated thing we had done, it involved significant expenses, and securing investment without a working prototype was a real challenge. I found myself depleting my savings, which added to the stress of the journey. Every step felt like a gamble. After four long years filled with trials and errors, we finally created the prototype you see today. Today, our app allows users to easily request services, track personnel, and check the status of their requests, all while keeping our team informed,” he adds.

Khatri says that over the year, his company has helped well over 120,000 persons with a variety of services and the company has also spread its network of services progressively, now available in over 140 towns and cities across the entire country.

In terms of the kind of assistance provided by India Assist, Khatri recounts the example of an Iraqi doctor who had come to India to appear in an exam. While in Agra, he lost his credit card and needed funds for his daily expenses. He asked his family to wire him money, but the transfer was held up at Western Union due to a missing document he was unaware of and which could take weeks to obtain. To complicate matters further, the next day was August 15, a national holiday in India.

After visiting multiple public and private banks without success, he learned about India Assist and reached out for help. An employee of India Assist dedicated a full day to resolving the issue, successfully obtaining the necessary document and ensuring the funds were released.

Khatri also recounts tales of travellers who have sought assistance, ranging from late-night toothaches to visa and immigration challenges, underscoring the vital role India Assist plays in ensuring a smooth travel experience.

Overseas Ambitions

Having put its footprint almost across India, Khatri says that now he is looking overseas for expansion and that the United Arab Emirates could be the first location outside India where his company would provide similar services.

“Since its inception, India Assist has aimed to establish itself as a global network and service. To achieve this ambition, we have engaged in discussions with several countries to expand our operations,” says Khatri.

“We are in talks with various nations, and we hope to see India Assist becoming operational in the UAE by 2025, among others,” he adds.