Despite ongoing uncertainties surrounding Hyderabad Metro Rail’s phase-2 expansion, a significant positive development is on the horizon: L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) is preparing to roll out the highly anticipated National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
This innovative smart card is designed for interoperability, allowing for seamless travel across various metro systems throughout India. Currently, it’s undergoing rigorous testing across all three active corridors in Hyderabad: the Red Line (L.B. Nagar-Miyapur), Blue Line (Nagole-Raidurg), and Green Line (JBS-MGBS), which together span 69.2 kilometers within the twin cities, according to official sources.
The NCMC is already operational and in use in prominent metro networks like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. While early users in these cities experienced some initial challenges with limited recharge options, these were quickly addressed by the authorities as standard rollout issues.
The demand for the NCMC in Hyderabad has been considerable, especially given the previous unsuccessful attempts by the government to implement a single, unified ticketing system covering RTC buses, MMTS local trains, and the Metro. Officials highlight that the NCMC’s stored value feature supports offline transactions across different transit modes, which significantly helps in minimizing financial risks for all involved parties.
It is still to be confirmed whether the NCMC, once fully launched, will extend its utility to other public transport options in Hyderabad, such as MMTS, RTC buses, parking facilities, or even retail outlets, as was initially envisioned for a truly universal card. However, the existing metro rail prepaid smart cards will continue to be accepted. A decision on whether new applicants will exclusively receive NCMCs or if the old smart cards will still be issued is yet to be made.
The introduction of the NCMC could also pave the way for an open-loop ticketing system, which would allow passengers to conveniently use their existing debit or credit cards for metro travel. This system is proudly powered by the RuPay platform and was originally conceptualized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).