The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is a key part of the Indian Railways system, providing online ticketing, catering on trains and at stations, packaged drinking water (Rail Neer) and tourism services. IRCTC once earned most of its income from ticketing and catering, but it has diversified strategically to reduce the risks of regulatory dependence and cyclical passenger traffic. Tourism has become a fast-growing business area, covering domestic and international packaged tours, luxury tourist trains such as the Maharajas' Express and Golden Chariot, Bharat Gaurav themed trains, the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train, hotel bookings, air and bus ticketing, car rentals, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) events. This paper examines the role of tourism services in IRCTC's revenue diversification and long-term business sustainability. By combining its railway network with a strong digital platform (irctctourism.com), IRCTC has moved from being mainly a rail service provider to a full-service travel and hospitality company. The reviewed literature suggests that tourism brings higher-margin revenue that offsets the lower margins of ticketing and catering, strengthens brand visibility beyond regular train users, and supports spiritual, heritage and cultural circuits. IRCTC reported a net profit of over ₹1,300 crore in FY25. The paper reviews ten earlier studies, identifies eight research gaps, states a problem statement, proposes a multi-theoretical framework and conceptual model, and sets out a survey-based methodology (120 respondents, structured Likert-scale questionnaire) for a future empirical test. Challenges remain, including seasonality, competition from private tour operators and the need for continuous digital innovation. Overall, tourism services are an important element in IRCTC's move towards a more resilient and sustainable business model.

Ashvini Gorakhnath Khorgade, Dr. Ujwala Narkhede, "A Study on Revenue Diversification and Business Sustainability of IRCTC Through Its Tourism Services" International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, V9(5): Page(843-847) September - October 2026. ISSN: 2581-7175. www.ijsred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.