Tech

Indian Railways says it will consider withdrawing tender for consultant to monetize customer data


Indian Railways has launched a bid to hire a consultant to monetize their passenger and freight data with the aim of generating revenue up to Rs 1,000 crore, but sources say told PTI that it could be withdrawn amid concerns about privacy issues. While many on social media, including advocacy groups, have raised concerns about the breach of data privacy issues, government sources have clarified that the consultant will advise the Indian Railways and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on steps to improve existing business and plan future Opportunity monetization strategies.

While Indian Railways has not officially commented on the bid, senior sources told PTI it will be withdrawn “because of the fact that the Data Protection Bill has not been finalized”.

According to the tender documents, the data to be studied will include information collected by the carrier’s various public applications such as “name, age, mobile number, gender, address, ID e-mail, cruise class, payment method, login or password” and other details.

The IRCTC there are more than 10 crore users, of which 7.5 crore are active users.

The document also states that the consultation, once completed, will be provided with details of the applications and data collected therein to conduct the Indian Railways ‘Digital Data Monetization’ study. Degree’.

The consultant will study the data of the passenger, freight and parcel businesses of Indian Railways such as PRS, NGeT, NTES, UTS, Rail Madad, FOIS, TMS, e-CRM and PMS, as well as vendor-related data from applications such as IREPS, VMS, and IPAS.

The document titled ‘Scope of Work for Project A: A Study of Digital Data Monetization by Indian Railways (IR)’ says the consultant will also be provided with access to digital data system generates behavioral data such as passenger flow, journey class, journey frequency, travel time, booking time, age group and gender, payment method, number of destinations and booking method.

The goal of this exercise is for IRCTC to leverage its data assets and market position to drive strong revenue growth. This can be achieved by improving the customer experience, expanding the range of products offered to customers, and/or developing new lines of business and partnerships, the document states.

“IRCTC projects potential revenue generation of Rs 1,000 through its Digital Asset Monetization. IRCTC looks forward to attracting a consulting firm to help define, design and develop and implement data monetization opportunities”.

While Railways has yet to officially respond, sources close to the development said IRCTC is not “selling its data nor intends to do so”. They said the consultant is being hired to advise IRCTC on steps to improve current business operations and to plan monetization strategies for future businesses. It will also focus on how IRCTC can apply new business opportunities.

“IRCTC will also develop new businesses on its own platform and will need support from market leaders. IRCTC does not store any customer financial data at the time of payment. online for various services, control is transferred to the respective payment gateways or banks for payment,” the sources said.

The document also states that the consultant will study various Acts or laws, including the IT Act 2000 and its amendments, user data privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulations. data and the ‘Personal Data Protection Bill of 2018’, and accordingly, propose business models for monetizing digital assets.

The Consultant will also prepare a roadmap for monetization of digital data collected at various customer and supplier related applications, including regional railways, units and units. others like CRIS and PSUs like IRCTC and Railtel.

The tasks listed for the appointed consultant include isolating monetized data sets, identifying international market potential, and preparing a digital data monetization roadmap.

The Internet Freedom Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO that advocates for digital rights and freedoms, raised concerns about the bid and outlined its pitfalls in a series of tweets.

“Hello train people, your data will soon be monetized by the government. And that too, in the absence of data protection laws! … Profit maximization will bring. greater impetus for data collection, violation of data minimization guidelines & Limitation of Purpose Past experiences from misuse of the Vahan database add to concerns about risk security & mass surveillance”, it said.

“IRCTC, a government-controlled monopoly, must not prioritize misleading commercial interests over the rights and interests of citizens. And due to the recent withdrawal of the Data Protection Bill 2021, the Making money like that becomes even more worrisome,” the NGO added.




Source link

news7f

News7F: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button