The Indian Railways is one of India’s oldest institutions serving more than 24 million people every day. With such a dense population, the way Indians commute is unique — hopping on and off trains and filling the trains to the point that riders hang on is commonplace. The Indian Railways doesn't use gates or turnstiles that require tickets, instead relying on an honor system and infrequent checks. Inevitably, millions end up travelling ticketless as they view buying a ticket an unnecessary chore.
But where millions of people skip paying for train tickets, India spends over $30 billion on lottery tickets annually. That unlocked the big idea to turn every Indian Railways ticket into a lottery ticket, giving passengers a new reason to pay, while tapping into India’s deep cultural belief in luck.
The unique number on every train ticket became a potential winner, giving passengers an incentive to always travel with a valid ticket. What was once a routine, overlooked transaction became a moment of anticipation, turning ticket buying from a routine expense into an exciting opportunity.
To ensure millions of daily commuters saw and heard about the initiative, we rolled out a launch campaign across high-impact touchpoints, including contextual OOH in railway stations, digital, and radio, even putting messaging on the trains themselves. We also broadcast announcements at train stations to remind travellers that their ticket wasn’t just a way to board a train — it could be their lucky break.
By shifting the conversation from penalty to possibility and offering a low-cost, scalable solution to a deeply rooted issue, we solved a major financial problem for Indian Railways while tapping into India’s passion for lotteries.
