A homegrown IT solution that enables India's budget airlines to link up to the global Amadeus reservation system and helps in inventory control has processed three million transactions since being launched May 5 last year, its developer says.

"AIRS (Airline Inventory and Reservation System) makes Amadeus accessible to low-cost carriers. It gives them the means to distribute on an international platform," said Ankur Bhatia, executive director of the New Delhi-based diversified Bird Group.

"What we've done is a backend on technology. Amadeus is focused on larger customers but Indian customers want products at Indian prices. That's where we come in. We've created a platform that can serve the needs of the Indian carriers," Bhatia told of the system that took nine months to create.

Amadeus is a global reservation system that links airlines around the world. It normally caters to larger international carriers. To get on the Amadeus network, nine airlines -- among them Kingfisher, Go, Paramount, Jagson and AirOne besides Bhutan's Druk Air - are using AIRS system.

AIRS is a software programme that allows low-cost carriers access Amadeus and permits international airlines access the Indian aviation sector.

The $30 million Bird Group is one of India's most diversified entities in the travel, aviation services, hospitality and IT sectors. It has 3,500 employees in 15 fully automated offices across the country.

"AIRS assists airlines in effective inventory control, reservations and ticketing at extremely economical rates," Bhatia explained.

"It provides immense cost savings to airlines by providing a PC-based effective solution that avoids the need to maintain a mainframe or paying for co-hosting, thus providing a better return on investment," he added.

The Bird Group had humble beginnings in 1968 when Bhatia's father was appointed a general sales agent (GSA) for Lufthansa. Bhatia joined the business in 1993 after obtaining a degree in software development from King's College, London.

The association with Lufthansa continues to this day in the form of two joint ventures, apart from GSA.

Along with Lufthansa Commercial Holding, the group has been managing back office operations and providing customer relationship management applications for the aviation and travel industry for a decade.

"Our range of services includes call centres, developing and maintaining data bases and administering frequent flyer programmes besides providing aeronautical data digitisation and mapping services," Bhatia explained.

The group has also established a joint venture with Globe Ground, Lufthansa's ground handling arm that specialises in providing complete solutions for the civil aviation industry.

"Our services are targeted at international and domestic carrier operating in India, in helping them reduce turnaround time and cut operational costs," Bhatia said, adding Globe Ground India was the sole company licensed by the Airports Authority of India to provide ground handling services at Indian airports.

With the group also providing MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities for Boeing-737s and Airbus A-320s, Bhatia said, "We are a comprehensive, one-stop shop for any aviation need and we'd like to partner with different companies who are strong in their respective fields".

Having consolidated its operations, the group is now venturing into the hospitality sector by setting up five star properties in eight different cities.

"We have acquired land in Delhi, Rishikesh (Uttaranchal) and Goa and identified another five cities where we will put up our projects. Our first property will open in Rishikesh in 2008," Bhatia said.