Meru Cabs

Paper receipt in hand, meter running: that’s Meru Cabs at DEL

Meru Cabs runs as a traditional metered taxi from Indira Gandhi International Airport, with visible counters in T3 Arrivals and near pickup areas at T1 and T2. You walk up to the desk, give your destination in Delhi, Gurgaon, or Noida, get a printed slip, then head to the taxi lane outside the terminal doors. No app, no surge games, and you see the car number and base fare on the paper before you step out of the building.

Base fares usually start around ₹80–₹100, then run on a per‑kilometre meter that staff will show on a rate card at the counter. A run into central Connaught Place from T3 typically falls in the ₹500–₹800 range depending on traffic and time of day. Highway tolls on routes toward Gurgaon or Noida sit on top of that and either get added to the meter or collected in cash at the end of the ride. Keep small notes—₹100 and ₹200 bills—so you’re not stuck waiting for change at 1 a.m.

Meru counters in T3 stay staffed for most of the 24‑hour flight bank, with the most reliable coverage between about 05:00 and 01:00, matching the heavy international waves. At T1 and T2, the desks align more with domestic peaks, roughly 06:00–23:00, though hours can slide on quiet nights. If you land at 03:30 into T3 on an overseas flight, expect to find a Meru sign in the public Arrivals hall near other taxi desks, not in the baggage claim area.

Cars are standard sedans and compact SUVs, not luxury vehicles, and air‑conditioning is the norm in Delhi’s 35–45°C summer heat. Luggage space in a typical Meru sedan comfortably handles one large checked bag plus a cabin bag per person; more than that and you want to flag it at the counter so they can assign a bigger vehicle. Child seats are not standard, so families flying in on long‑haul services like AI102 or BA257 should plan their own restraint if that matters.

Fares are usually payable in cash in Indian rupees, and some drivers accept UPI apps like Paytm or PhonePe on their own phones, but the counter itself focuses on cash quoting. You won’t reliably be able to pay by foreign credit card at the car door at 22:45 after a delayed arrival. If you need an official receipt for work, ask the counter to stamp or sign the printed slip before you walk out to the rank.

Practical tip: after customs in T3, ignore unofficial offers in the corridor and head straight to the official Meru counter in the Arrivals hall, then follow the bay number printed on your slip to the marked pickup zone outside Gate 5 or the stand they point out that day.