ASI integrates monument ticketing with ONDC, expands online access to 170+ sites

In a significant push to expand digital access to India’s cultural heritage, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has integrated its ticketing system with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) , enabling online booking of entry tickets for more than 170 centrally protected monuments and museums through multiple digital platforms.

The Culture Ministry said the initiative covers some of the country’s most visited heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal in Agra , the Red Fort and the Qutub Minar in Delhi, and is aimed at improving convenience, transparency and efficiency in public service delivery.

Unlike the earlier model, where visitors largely depended on a limited set of government-linked portals for e-ticketing, the ONDC integration allows platform-neutral access , meaning the same official ASI tickets can be offered across different consumer applications built on open network protocols. Officials said this approach prevents users from being locked into a single app or website and widens the reach of public services.

ONDC is a government-backed initiative designed to promote open, interoperable digital networks for the exchange of goods and services, often compared to the role played by UPI in transforming digital payments . By bringing ASI ticketing onto this network, authorities aim to make heritage tourism more accessible to both domestic and international visitors.

The technical integration has been carried out by NDML (NSDL Database Management Limited) , which has onboarded ASI’s complete inventory of monuments and museums onto the ONDC network. Tickets are currently available through platforms such as Highway Delite (web and mobile apps), Pelocal’s WhatsApp-based ticketing service , and Abhee by Mondee , with several additional consumer-facing applications in various stages of integration.

Officials clarified that visitors booking tickets through ONDC-enabled applications will continue to enjoy existing online booking benefits, including discounts of Rs 5 for Indian visitors and Rs 50 for foreign nationals , while also being able to bypass physical ticket counters at monuments and museums, ensuring faster and smoother entry.

With ASI ticketing now live on an open digital network, large consumer platforms such as Paytm and PhonePe could potentially offer monument ticket bookings in the future , subject to their integration and service rollout decisions under ONDC. While there has been no official confirmation of ASI tickets being available on these platforms yet, their presence on ONDC for other services makes such an expansion technically feasible.

The move mirrors similar integrations in other public services, including urban transport ticketing, where availability across multiple apps has reduced congestion at counters and improved user experience. By allowing ticket purchases through apps that users already rely on for travel, payments or local services, the ASI-ONDC integration is expected to simplify trip planning and help manage visitor flows at high-footfall heritage sites.

At the same time, officials and experts have advised visitors to remain cautious and ensure they book tickets only through recognised and authorised platforms , as the expansion of digital ticketing across multiple apps can sometimes be exploited by lookalike or fake websites.

The Culture Ministry said the initiative marks an important step in modernising access to India’s heritage infrastructure, combining conservation with digital innovation to better serve citizens and tourists alike.