Axis Bank to Launch the First Smart City Projects in India with Cardtek Open-Loop Payment and RuPay L2 Kernel Solutions

Cardtek has announced that it has supported Axis Bank to launch a national open-loop payment system for public transportation in India. The new payment solution will fully integrate the banking systems and it is certified by RuPay, the national smart card based payment standard in India, providing a secure payment platform that offers residents the ability to easily pay for goods and services – including public transportation – using either account-based or card-based open loop transit transactions.  Cardtek becomes among the first vendors in India providing RuPay Level 2 Kernel certification.

The payment solution “Axis Bank RuPay Contactless Transportation Card,” was initially rolled out in Bangalore, the third most populated city in India, and now it will be launched in Kochi, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The opening “Smart City Technologies” ceremony was recently held in Kochi with the participation of Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, and his ministers.

“It is a great honour that our payment technologies and team has been chosen for this massive public initiative,” said Ayse Nil Sarigollu, the executive chairwoman of Cardtek.  “India is known for its innovation and advanced technology and this project will now allow residents to make all their public transactions easily, quickly, and safely via a single card or account.”

The smart bankcards, which are customizable with names and pictures of users, will enable consumers to make transactions via Axis Bank ATMs, vendors, the Internet or mobile applications. The open-loop solution will allow for payments of all mass transportation - including subways and bus systems – along with over 1.2 million merchant outlets around the country. By the conclusion of the project, transactions throughout India will be executed via a single card in an effortless, secure and swift manner.