Delhi commuters can soon travel across cities with just one card
The National Common Mobility Card, branded ‘On-The-Go’ cards will be available at all Delhi Metro stations in the national capital in the next 10 days.
Hopping from the Metro to a bus while running late to work or using public transport in another city?
Delhi commuters may soon be able to do it all with a single card.
In a move aimed at making daily travel easier, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) partnered with Airtel Payments Bank to launch a co-branded RuPay National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) on Saturday that can be used across the Delhi Metro as well as other public transport systems in cities across India.
The cards, branded as “On-The-Go” cards, were launched at the DMRC headquarters in the presence of DMRC Managing Director Dr Vikas Kumar and Airtel Payments Bank MD and CEO Anubrata Biswas, along with senior officials from both organisations.
How do they work?
According to DMRC, the co-branded cards will be available in debit card and prepaid payment instrument (PPI-MTS) variants. The cards will allow commuters to make payments across metro systems, buses and other transit networks using a single open-loop payment card.
Officials said the cards are enabled with the National Common Mobility Card system, which is part of the Centre’s “One Nation, One Card” initiative aimed at integrating transit payments across cities and transport modes.
How are they different from the old cards?
At present, DMRC-issued smart cards can only be used within the Delhi Metro network. The new cards, however, are designed to work across multiple transit systems nationwide.
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Where can a commuter get them?
DMRC said the cards will be available at all Metro stations within the next 10 days. Users will also be able to recharge them digitally through the DMRC app and the Airtel app.
The DMRC clarified that existing metro cards will continue to function normally and said it would continue promoting NCMC-based cards going forward.
Behind the move
Dr Kumar said the partnership would enable interoperable travel not only within the Delhi Metro network but also across transit systems in other cities.
“DMRC has consistently focused on adopting innovative solutions to enhance passenger convenience,” he said in a statement.
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Biswas said the partnership aimed to simplify urban mobility through digital payment solutions. “With the launch of the co-branded ‘On-the-Go’ NCMC cards, we are enabling commuters to experience seamless travel across transit systems,” he said.
Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications.
Professional Background
Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University.
Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city.
Recent Notable Work
His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences:
An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled.
A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo.
A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods.
Reporting Approach
Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city.
Contact
X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_
Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More