Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, and India’s largest travel agency, Akbar Travels, announce a new long-term, strategic partnership agreement to further expand Sabre’s footprint in the Indian subcontinent while driving operational efficiencies to increase productivity and profitability for Akbar.
Under the extended and expanded agreement, Sabre will continue to be Akbar’s preferred global distribution (GDS) partner in India, ensuring that the firm, which is the largest travel company in India in terms of IATA-approved branches, staff numbers and business turnover, can continue to access real-time, rich content from hundreds of thousands of airlines, hoteliers and other travel providers through Sabre’s intuitive Sabre Red 360 interface.
In addition to this latest renewal, Akbar and Sabre will also be working more closely together through the appointment of software company Benzy Infotech Pvt Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the Akbar Group, as Sabre’s partner for 15 states in India to promote and develop Sabre’s business in these markets and strengthen its presence across the Indian subcontinent.
This new announcement from Sabre and Akbar follows an earlier deal enhancement last year when Akbar selected Sabre’s Content Services for Lodging (CSL) APIs to enable its agents to more easily shop, compare and book more than a million lodging options for clients.
“For many years, Akbar has utilized a broad portfolio of Sabre technology and solutions to leverage growth, streamline operations, expand our geographic reach and differentiate our own services within our markets,” said K.V. Abdul Nazar, founder, chairman and managing director, Akbar Group. “So, we’re not only delighted to continue to benefit from Sabre’s robust and scalable solutions but also proud to build on our successful, shared history by further extending Sabre’s world-class products and services in the Indian subcontinent through the new partnership agreement between our subsidiary Benzy and Sabre.”
“Our new agreement and renewal with Akbar is testament to their confidence in Sabre’s technological solutions,” said Todd Arthur, Vice President, Sabre Travel Solutions, Agency Sales, Asia Pacific. “There’s no question about the extent to which the entire travel ecosystem has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. However, what is also not in any doubt is the commitment of both Sabre and Akbar Travels to continue to invest in technological innovation for the future of our companies, our shared relationship and the recovery and growth of the travel industry as a whole in the Indian subcontinent and beyond.”
About Akbar Travels
Akbar Travels, is India’s largest travel company in terms of the number of IATA approved branches, staff numbers and business turnover. The firm was established in 1978 with an humble beginning and has enjoyed exponential growth ever since. They have more than 41 years of outstanding association with their travel partners in India and Middle East. Currently, Akbar Travels has 57 IATA-approved branches and 100 non-IATA offices, serving customers across India, as well as 17 branches in the UAE, 5 branches in Oman,4 branches in Doha, 3 branches in Kuwait, offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in Houston and New York in the US, in London and Rome. The firm launched its online travel portal, which is called Akbartravels.com, in 2007 to make the flight booking process easier for catering the requirements of online customers. The system is well placed in the market as they have their own software company named Benzy InfoTech Private Limited at Cochin, Kerala which is dedicatedly outsourcing all the requirements of akbaronline.com. Akbar online has more than 50000 b2b agents across India and the Middle East. They also established Akbar Holidays in the year 2011 and reached a premier position within the market in a short span of time. The annual turnover of Akbar group of Companies is USD 2.25 Billion.
