DYF – a Section 8 not-for-profit company formed under the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Digi Yatra Policy, 2021 – selected Data Evolve Solutions through a startup challenge in May 2021. The parties executed an MVA on November 17, 2021. DYF maintains that the MVA clearly vests in it all intellectual property in the Digi Yatra platform, including all developed software, modifications and derivative works, while only pre-existing software owned by Data Evolve remains with the developer.
DYF began disengaging from Data Evolve after allegations emerged in late 2023 regarding diversion of ₹36.53 crore in traffic fines by the developer’s promoter. DYF sought clarifications in November 2023 and, dissatisfied with the response, issued a disengagement letter in January 2024 directing Data Evolve to hand over the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem, the Digi Yatra app and all operational credentials.
Data Evolve, however, claims that DYF withheld payments and insists that it owns the IP in Digi Yatra’s software architecture. The company has also approached a Hyderabad court seeking protection of its claimed IP. In March 2024, DYF moved the Delhi High Court, which granted an ad-interim ex parte injunction restraining Data Evolve from using or copying any Digi Yatra passenger data.
