In the mid-1990s, business travel in India was hard to manage and inefficient. Flights, hotels, visas, and local transport were handled by different vendors with no coordination between them. Bookings depended on phone calls, faxes, and manual follow-ups. Paper tickets were common and easily delayed or misplaced. Confirmations often arrived late, and prices changed before bookings were completed. For companies with frequent travel, this meant wasted time, higher costs, and constant uncertainty. Making changes was even more difficult. If a meeting was rescheduled or a trip needed to be extended, bookings had to be reworked manually. Cancellations and refunds took time to track. Visa processes were unclear, documentation requirements were inconsistent, and timelines were unreliable. Administrative teams spent hours coordinating travel instead of focusing on their actual work. For senior executives, travel disruptions affected productivity and business outcomes.
Travel Resources was established in 1995 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) to address these issues. The goal was not to act as a ticketing agent, but to take full responsibility for business travel management. The focus was on creating clear processes, reducing manual effort, and providing a single point of coordination for clients. The company started with flight and hotel bookings. Instead of separate confirmations from multiple vendors, clients received a complete itinerary managed by one team. All changes, reissues, and cancellations were handled centrally. This reduced errors, shortened response times, and gave clients clarity on who was responsible at every stage.
As client requirements grew, Travel Resources expanded its services in a structured way. Visa processing was added to handle one of the biggest sources of delay. Requirements were explained clearly, documents were checked before submission, and timelines were monitored closely. This reduced last-minute rejections and prevented avoidable travel delays. Ground transportation and airport transfers were introduced to ensure continuity beyond flights and hotels. Executives and teams no longer needed to arrange local transport separately or depend on informal solutions. Travel insurance and emergency support were added to manage risk during unforeseen events.
Group and multi-city travel created additional complexity. Managing different routes, dates, and traveler preferences often led to confusion and cost overruns. Travel Resources coordinated these movements centrally, ensuring consistent execution while keeping individual travelers informed. For companies, approvals, billing, and compliance were ongoing challenges. Travel requests were often approved informally, making cost control difficult. Travel Resources implemented structured approval workflows aligned with company policies. Bookings became traceable and auditable. Instead of multiple invoices from different vendors, clients received a single GST-compliant invoice, even for complex, multi-airline itineraries.
Reporting improved visibility. Companies could review travel spend, identify patterns, and make informed decisions. Finance teams spent less time reconciling expenses, and management gained better control over budgets. Technology improved speed and accuracy, but execution remained people-led. The team handles last-minute changes, flight cancellations, and urgent travel needs without escalation delays. Clients work with a dedicated team that understands their policies, preferences, and timelines.
Today, Travel Resources works with startups, growing companies, and large enterprises across industries. The company supports both domestic and international travel and provides 24/7 assistance. Many clients have worked with Travel Resources for years because the service is consistent and dependable. The objective remains the same as it was in 1995, reduce effort, remove confusion, and keep business travel running smoothly so clients can focus on their work, aka Travel Made Simpler!
From Team Travel Resources.
