Thomas Cook (India) Limited announced on April 30, 2026 the expansion of its prepaid forex card to 28 currencies, adding 16 new currencies to its existing portfolio of 12. According to reports from The Hindu BusinessLine, the newly added currencies include the Chinese Yuan, Vietnamese Dong, Malaysian Ringgit, Indonesian Rupiah, South Korean Won, Philippine Peso, South African Rand, Kuwaiti Dinar, Bahraini Dinar, Qatari Riyal, Omani Riyal, Hong Kong Dollar, Bangladeshi Taka, Swedish Krona, Danish Krone and Norwegian Krone. These join existing currencies such as the US Dollar, Euro, British Pound and Japanese Yen, creating one of the widest currency offerings on a prepaid forex card in India. The expansion positions the company among providers with one of the widest currency portfolios in India, enabling travellers to directly load and transact in local currencies to avoid the cost of layered conversions.
The company cited rising demand for international travel, particularly to emerging and short-haul destinations across Asia, Southeast Asia, and beyond as the primary driver for this expansion. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, the card allows direct loading and spending in local currencies to avoid the cost of layered conversions — typically INR to USD to local currency. Customers can load forex through retail outlets, digital platforms, a WhatsApp service, or via a partnership with quick-commerce platform Blinkit in under an hour. The expanded suite is available on both Visa and Mastercard platforms and supports contactless payments, with integration with digital wallets such as Google Pay further enhancing usability at international merchant locations. Additional services such as Forex on WhatsApp provide round-the-clock assistance, including live rates and end-to-end transactions, reflecting a strong push toward digital convenience.
Despite the product announcement, Thomas Cook India's stock was trading at ₹93.89 on NSE at midday Thursday, down 1.25% from its previous close of ₹95.08. According to The Hindu BusinessLine, the stock has shed over 30% in the past year and is down nearly 37% year-to-date, significantly underperforming the Nifty Total Market index. The company's total market capitalisation stands at approximately ₹4,415 crore and the stock trades at a P/E of 17.74. The stock touched a 52-week low of ₹86.35 in March 2026, well off its 52-week high of ₹188.29. The latest market developments show broader market volatility with Sensex crashing 800 points to 76,703 and Nifty down 260 points to 23,917 amid global uncertainties.
Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius), a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings, holds 63.83% of TCIL's paid-up capital. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, this ownership structure reflects the company's position in the Indian travel and forex services market following the recent product expansion announcement. The initiative supports a broader shift from cash-based transactions to secure, transparent, and seamless digital payment solutions for travellers, with company executives highlighting that the expansion aligns with changing travel behaviors and offers greater flexibility and efficiency for international travellers navigating multiple destinations.
