How smart parking is Enhancing the Maha Kumbh experience

Can AI handle 25 lakh vehicles? Amit from Park+ reveals the secret to parking 25 lakh vehicles: technology, predictive AI, and the unwavering optimism that nothing will crash (except maybe a few bikes).

- Minu Sirsalewala

In India, large gatherings often spiral into logistical nightmares, Park+ is rewriting the rulebook with its tech-driven approach to parking management. Amit Lakhotia, Founder of Park+, shares how the company is set to manage over 5 lakh parking spots across 30+ locations at the Maha Kumbh using FASTag-enabled smart systems, AI, and IoT.

In this candid conversation with Dataquest, Amit unveils the tech stack, the operational challenges that Park+ faced, and its vision for simple car ownership experiences, one event at a time. Excerpts:

Park+ aims to ease parking anxiety at Maha Kumbh with faStag-enabled smart parking. How does this initiative align with your broader mission of enhancing car ownership?

Our mission is to simplify and enhance car ownership. A car is often the second most expensive asset for an individual, yet daily challenges like parking, valet services, car servicing, and car washes remain largely unorganized.

Our goal is to address these issues through technology-driven solutions. For example, during last year’s Surajkund Mela, we managed parking for nearly 1 lakh cars over 17 days. Maha Kumbh is on a much larger scale, with vehicles ranging from cycles to trucks and buses, covering 30-35 km and over 30 parking locations. Some parking zones stretch for several kilometers.

We digitize these large, scattered parking areas using FASTag-based or pass-based systems. This enables real-time tracking of parking availability, occupancy rates, and traffic flow. Our systems help both administrators and visitors identify available parking spots quickly.

Additionally, our B2C app allows users to locate their parked vehicles easily, while predictive analytics help forecast parking demand based on historical data.