Wego has purchased the Middle East business interests of online travel agency Cleartrip from its recent acquirer Flipkart.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, with the agreement expected to close in the second half of 2022.
Part of the agreement sees Cleartrip co-founder and CEO Stuart Crighton move to become head of Cleartrip's international business at the travel search brand and a "technology cooperation between Wego and Flipkart."
Flipkart bought Cleartrip for an undisclosed fee in April 2021.
Included in the deal is the Saudi Arabia-based online travel agency Flyin, which was acquired by Cleartrip in June 2018.
A deal that works for both brands
The move is a logical one for both Wego and Flipkart, with the India-based e-commerce giant concentrating solely on its domestic market and Wego having a sizeable presence and strategy in the Middle East.
Ravi Iyer, senior vice president and head of corporate development at Flipkart, says: "Given our strategic priorities and focus on the Indian market, the acquisition of Cleartrip’s Middle East business by Wego provides continuity to its business, and we believe that they are the right partners to boost its next phase of growth."
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Wego co-founder and CEO, Ross Veitch, adds: "The Middle East is set to be one of the most exciting growth stories of the next decade with the travel & technology sectors taking center stage and with the Wego group playing a very crucial role.
"This acquisition will significantly increase our scale and capabilities and will strengthen our ability to partner and collaborate across our region.
Flipkart, which has a customer base of over 300 million members, sells goods in more than 80 consumer categories.
The company acquired 100% of Cleartrip's shareholding and planned to retain the service as a standalone brand.
At the time, the OTA's existing team, led by CEO and co-founder Stuart Crighton, would be kept on as part of the deal.
The company was created in 2006 by Crighton, Hrush Bhatt and Matthew Spacie and has taken in just over $55 million in funding over six rounds.
The largest was a $40 million venture round from SAP Concur in 2011.
Cleartrip originally targeted consumers in its domestic market of India but over the course of the 2010s has expanded to the burgeoning online travel scene in the Middle East.
* Check this interview with Crighton, recorded for the How I Got Here podcast in October 2019.