New Delhi [India], September 23 (ANI): The newly launched Chatbot of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is getting remarkable response from the train passengers during the beta launch as over 1 billion people have used it, a senior IRCTC official said.

While talking to ANI, the official said that the new conversational and convenient feature to book railway tickets enables customers to interact with the system via voice, chat and click based system. Additionally, the system requires no passwords and works based on the One Time Password (OTP).

The official also told that the technology is powered by CoRover, a conversational AI Platform which is being used by more than 1 billion users.

"In our constant pursuit to enhance the user experience, leveraging new age technologies, we are today taking a giant leap. Now, passengers can book their train ticket in a conversational manner, leveraging our AI Virtual Assistant, AskDISHA 2.0, powered by CoRover, the Conversational AI platform, used by more than 1 billion users."The improved Virtual Assistant, AskDISHA 2.0 has many features like booking tickets, checking PNR status, cancelling tickets, changing boarding station, checking refund status and answering queries like Tatkal timings.

The official further informed that this is a landmark step towards enhancing the passenger experience.

"First time, the users can book ticket without knowing their IRCTC password, it will be possible just with an OTP. AskDISHA 2.0 has also proven to be a very effective instrument and the addition of voice booking and will make it even easier for travellers to plan their trips," the official added.

The senior official also estimated that at least 25 per cent of clients will be switching to this option in the future.

"It is expected that at least 25 per cent of clients will be switching to this option in the future and also attracting new users who want to book their tickets using the conversational tool rather than chatting. In August 2022, AskDISHA has got around 95 lakh queries, which includes booking request, cancellation and more. Also, it had 88% positive feedback with the AI Accuracy rate of 99 per cent," the official told ANI.

The official further talked about the "Technological Revolution" in the Indian Railways under the current leadership and government.

"It is notable that the Indian Railways, under the leadership of the Minister for Railways and IT have been undergoing massive technological revolution in pursuance of Prime Minister's vision of 'Digital India', 'Made in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," the official further said.

"Under the aegis of the present government, the Indian Railways, being one of the largest rail networks of the world have been achieving new milestones of transformation every day in various spheres for improving the travel experience of the passengers," the official added.

The new avatar of IRCTC's Chatbot AskDISHA 2.0, aims to help users get authentic, correct and instant answers to their queries. It will not just save time and enhance the user experience, but will also help them in doing end-to-end real time transactions, the official said. (ANI)