Urban Development ministry launches common model card for use in metros and transport systems

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Urban Development has launched a Smart National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) model to enable seamless travel by different metros and other transportation systems across the country besides being used for shopping as well.
Urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu has approved the 'EMV Open Loop Card with stored value' for this initiative.

The government had earlier tied a similar model but had not succeeded. After than Naidu had set up a committee chaired by the additional secretary in the urban development ministry to find an inter-operable mobility card that can be used across different transport systems in the country and which can also be used as a credit/debit card as well.

This Committee had representatives of National Informatics Centre (NIC), Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI) and the Ministry of Finance.

After an extensive study of different models used globally, the committee has recommended the EMV Open Loop Card with stored value.

This Smart Common Mobility Payment Card addresses the deficiencies associated with other cards being used in Singapore and other countries. This card meets travel needs based on stored value of money and can be used for travelling by any means of transport and also enables account based retail applications. Accordingly, this card does away with the need for carrying separate cards for banking and transit requirements.

Globally, there is no nationwide common card except in Singapore where in inter-operability is confined to the city only. The committee has therefore recommended the EMV Open Loop Card with stored value for use across the country.

The Urban Development Ministry has decided to task the National Payments Corporation of India with indigenous development and management of clearing and settlement of payments, simulating cards, terminals and network, a support base of vendors for providing certified tools, cards, terminals and other services, in line with the 'Make in India' initiative.

C-DAC will develop the standards and hardware for metro gates/validators along with related ecosystems for which the government has approved funding of Rs 4.47 crore. Certification and authentication mechanism will be developed by NPCI or any other government agency.