CWT targets India’s SMEs with new business travel tool

Carlson Wagonlit Travel has launched a new business travel solution designed especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India.  

The travel management company’s new ‘CWT For You’ product is available via a web-based registration and is focused on providing SMEs with the benefits of managed travel usually only offered to larger corporations.

These include negotiated airfares and hotel rates, plus added benefits like in-flight meals, preferred seat selection, flight changes and cancellations at no extra charge on a series of low-cost carriers. If they are not included, these ancillaries can add up to almost 20% of the ticket price.

CWT For You requires no minimum spend threshold and has no transaction fees.

“Indian SMEs and start-ups have seen tremendous growth in recent years, with many expanding nationwide and some even venturing into international markets,” said Geeta Jain, CWT’s CEO for India. “Yet most of these companies have very little control over what they spend on business travel – a significant chunk of their total spend.

“CWT For You offers SMEs a cost-effective business travel solution by including the essential components of managed travel, without certain added services required by organisations with global travel programmes or high travel volumes. This has allowed us to give these growing businesses unprecedented access to our global negotiating and buying power along with our award winning products and services,” she added.

Aimed at companies currently operating without a managed travel programme, CWT For You is available both as a mobile app and an online booking tool.

And SMEs who use this solution will also have access to the CWT’s business intelligence tool, AnalytIQs, which provides allows companies to monitor their overall travel spend and track their travellers during their trips.

It is estimated that India has close to 50 million SMEs, accounting for nearly 40% of the country’s GDP.