Tatkal train bookings on ixigo and ConfirmTkt fell 25% month on month. How would you find the cause?

Introduction

Tatkal is Indian Railways' last-minute booking quota. Tatkal tickets open one day before the journey (10 am for AC classes and 11 am for non-AC), sell out within minutes on busy routes, and are a lifeline for people who need to travel at short notice. For ixigo Trains and ConfirmTkt, Tatkal is a high-intent, high-frequency use case, and a smooth Tatkal experience is a big reason users choose these apps over IRCTC's own.

In this scenario, Tatkal bookings across ixigo and ConfirmTkt fell 25% month on month. That's a large drop in a core use case. Tatkal is also heavily shaped by IRCTC's rules, so the analysis must separate what ixigo controls from what it doesn't. I'll clarify, rule out external factors, break down the funnel, form and test hypotheses, and set out a resolution plan.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Is the drop in Tatkal attempts or in successful bookings?

• Why it matters: Fewer attempts suggests demand or awareness; fewer successes suggests a process or technical problem.
• Hypothetical answer: Attempts are down about 5%; successful bookings are down 25%.
• Impact on approach: Focus on failures between attempt and confirmation.

• Is the drop similar across ixigo Trains and ConfirmTkt, and across platforms?

• Why it matters: A drop in one app points to that app's code; a drop in both points to shared systems or IRCTC.
• Hypothetical answer: Both apps, Android and iOS, similar magnitude.
• Impact on approach: Look at shared infrastructure and IRCTC-side changes.

• Did anything change in IRCTC's Tatkal rules or systems?

• Why it matters: IRCTC has tightened Tatkal rules before; for example, in 2025 it moved to require Aadhaar-authenticated user accounts for online Tatkal booking.
• Hypothetical answer: IRCTC introduced an additional OTP verification step for Tatkal at the start of this month.
• Impact on approach: This is a lead suspect.

• Did ixigo ship any change to the Tatkal flow?

• Why it matters: Internal releases must be ruled in or out.
• Hypothetical answer: A minor release changed the passenger-details screen two weeks ago.
• Impact on approach: We'll check timing against the drop.