Funding story

Making the filing of RTI(Right to Information) applications online an easy and hassle-free process has always been the aim of portal OnlineRTI. Recently, the startup succeeded in raising $150K in angel funding from LetsVenture. The round also saw participation from Mohandas Pai, Nipun Goyal(president of IIFL), SlingMedia’s Bhupen Shah and Oliphans Capital, a major investment agency.

What does OnlineRTI do?

The online portal was created in 2014 by Pradeep Bhatt and Vinod Ranganathan.  The RTI(Right to Information) Act came into being in 2005, as a key part of the effort to deepen democratization and enhance transparency in governance. However, contacting information officers directly, and staying in touch with them over snail mail can be a very troublesome process. OnlineRTI makes filing such applications online very easy, through a 3-step process. The first stage involves filing the RTI application itself. Information officers pay a great deal of attention to the wording of such applications, and OnlineRTI helps the user file them by chipping in with the services of their drafting team. After the application has been filed, the portal’s logistics team pays the RTI fees and sends the application via speed/registered post, before  conveying the authorities’ message to the user.
In particular, OnlineRTI greatly helps users with filing RTI applications for passport-related queries, IT refunds and answer sheet copies. These processes affect large numbers of people daily. The portal charges a fixed sum of Rs.199 for aiding users with filing RTIs online—the detailed breakup of the process(according to the sum levied at each stage) is clearly described. Thus, the portal lays great emphasis not only convenience, but also on transparency.

Recent progress, and the road ahead

OnlineRTI has already processed helped users with filing 120,000 applications, of which a third have been handled by the concerned authorities. The portal seeks to use the raised funding to enhance marketing and further improve its services. Its focus on user satisfaction and engagement is certain to give it a huge leg-up in the months to come.

Visit the OnlineRTI website for more information, or to avail of their services.