On January 5, 2024, Ravi Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of udChalo, an online travel agency (OTA) for defence personnel, was contemplating the future direction of the company to ensure its survival as competition intensified and the company’s competitive edge eroded. udChalo was a pioneer in offering flight tickets to defence personnel who were eligible for reimbursement of train expenses. The company offered them flight tickets at discounted prices by collaborating with airlines. Through an arrangement with the defence forces, udChalo was allocated physical space within the defence facility—the company set up 75 kiosks for selling air tickets. As time progressed, udChalo’s success faced a growing threat. During the COVID-19 pandemic, other platform businesses experienced losses whereas udChalo’s business was profitable. To address their challenges, large OTAs such as MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip began to offer discounted air tickets to defence personnel. The market that udChalo had created no longer remained exclusive to the company as large players entered the same market.