Indian online travel giant Yatra.com will roll out homestay accommodation on its website starting from September 21.
Aiming for the backpacker market and families looking for more authentic travel experiences, the product will be known as Travelguru Stays.
About 500 properties will be available on launch, mainly located in holiday hotspots Goa, kerala and Rajasthan.
"For the value-conscious Indian traveller, what was missing in homestays was standardization, mostly in terms of quality," said Yatra president Sharat Dhall.
"We see a lot of demand for homestays as many people want to immerse in the experience of the city. But till now, they were unsure of what to expect," said Dhall."
A 2014 report compiled by HolidayIQ said homestays make up an estimated 13% of total accommodation in 50 emerging tourism destinations in India.
Prices start from Rs999 a night although average rates per room are Rs2,000.
"We hope to increase this to 5,000 in three months. We already have around 40,000 hotels with Yatra," Dhall added.
