The MSRTC NCMC card will become mandatory from 1 October 2026 for senior citizens and women passengers using discounted tickets on Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses. The corporation has started registration and distribution at bus depots and bus stations across the state.
The rule applies to passengers eligible for the Amrut senior citizen, senior citizen and women’s fare concessions provided under government directions. From October 1, discounted tickets for these categories will be issued through the National Common Mobility Card system.
Passengers who already have a functioning NCMC card, or who have registered and received a receipt containing a QR code, will be eligible to claim the concession. Those with the QR-coded registration receipt can have it scanned on the conductor’s electronic ticketing machine before receiving a discounted ticket.
The registration receipt will remain valid for 30 days. During that period, passengers will need to activate their NCMC card and add money to it through a top-up. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation said the card-based process is intended to make the management and delivery of concessionary travel more streamlined and digital.
E-Bix Technologies Limited has been appointed to handle NCMC card registration and distribution at MSRTC bus stations and depots, as well as through authorised agents outside depot premises. This is intended to provide passengers with access to registration at official centres closer to their homes and regular boarding points.
Passengers can add money to the NCMC card through the BHIM app. The top-up facility can be used by scanning the QR code printed on the back of the card through the app. The arrangement allows passengers to load funds digitally rather than relying only on a counter-based process.
The corporation has also provided an alternative registration process for eligible beneficiaries who face difficulty because their fingerprints do not register during Aadhaar-based biometric verification. Such passengers can register using a one-time password sent to the mobile number linked to their Aadhaar card.
The change means that eligible passengers who intend to use discounted MSRTC travel after September 30 will need to complete registration in advance or obtain a functioning NCMC card. Those relying on a registration receipt must use the 30-day validity period to activate the card and complete the required top-up. Registration and distribution are currently being carried out at MSRTC depots, bus stations and authorised centres.
