Amid growing concerns over passenger safety in India’s rapidly expanding urban mobility ecosystem, Odisha has launched what it describes as the country’s first state-owned safety app, integrating emergency-response tools directly into its public mobility platform, Odisha Yatri.
The app brings together one-click SOS, live location sharing, trusted contacts, emergency helplines and a distinctive “Shake and Alert” feature designed to work when a passenger may not be in a position to unlock the phone and navigate through an application.
Under the new system, a passenger caught in an emergency can activate a One-Tap SOS, which immediately shares the user’s live location with Odisha Police and designated trusted contacts. This means the emergency signal is not limited to notifying someone within the passenger’s personal network but is connected directly to the formal emergency-response system.
“What sets the Odisha initiative apart from other state-owned mobility applications is the direct integration of its SOS mechanism with the national emergency response number 112. The move will reduce the time between a passenger facing a threat and emergency services being alerted, while bringing mobility, real-time tracking and emergency response onto a single government-backed platform,” said an executive of Moving Tech, technology partner of Odisha Yatri.
The platform has also been designed for situations where a passenger may not be able to unlock the phone or visibly operate an app. Android users can trigger an SOS by shaking their phone, while iPhone users can tap the back of the device to send an alert. The gesture-based mechanism is intended to provide a discreet way of seeking help when making a conventional phone call or opening an application may not be possible.
Unlike other state-owned ride-hailing apps, Odisha’s model addresses all three elements. The passenger can trigger the alert through a tap or gesture, the system can transmit live location, and the SOS is connected to 112, India’s unified emergency response number.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the safety module recently in the presence of Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra and Odisha Yatri brand ambassador and actor Archita Sahu.
“Safe, accessible and dependable mobility is central to building citizen-friendly and prosperous cities,” Majhi said and emphasised that technology must be used to strengthen public confidence and ensure that every citizen can travel independently and without fear.
Usha Padhee, additional chief secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, said every woman deserves the freedom to travel with confidence, dignity and without fear. “The Odisha Yatri Safety app has been designed with empathy, acknowledging that, in a moment of distress, help must be immediate, discreet and easily accessible. Through some of the novel features, we are bringing reassurance closer to every journey and building a mobility ecosystem that truly listens to and cares for women, senior citizens and other vulnerable passengers,” she said.
The app goes beyond a conventional panic button by adding several features intended to give responders more information about the situation. These include real-time location sharing, an emergency siren and ambient audio recording. The latter could potentially provide authorities with contextual information about what is happening around a passenger during a distress situation, while location data can help establish where assistance is required.
The system also allows users to share their journey with trusted contacts and provides quick access to police, ambulance and fire services. Once a passenger reaches safety, the “Mark Ride as Safe” facility can be used to close an active alert.
Odisha Yatri is Odisha’s state-owned, zero-commission ride-hailing platform, offering auto and cab bookings in select cities. The app is built on the Beckn Protocol and operates on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), enabling interoperability across the open mobility ecosystem rather than locking users into a single proprietary network. With over 18,600 drivers linked to the app and more than 600,000 registered users, it handles at least 2,000 rides a day.
