Uber launches public transport services in India
Uber announced on Tuesday that it has won a bid to work with the government-run subway system in India’s capital.
UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC
$69.31
11:10 25/04/24
The ride-hailing company partnered with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to deploy parking spots and introduce new products at subway stations in Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida.
The company also said that it would roll-out a software update for its app so as to also display real-time public transportation options.
DMRC said that Uber was not an exclusive partner for the subway system.
It was unclear how much time the partnership would require to deploy the proposed changes.
The partnership was the latest move in Uber’s battle with local giant Ola, which was increasingly expanding its footprint in the nation.
Ola Bike was now available in more than 150 Indian cities and towns and it intended to expand to 300 additional towns and cities by next year. Uber was operational in fewer than three dozen cities in India.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi also said that Uber was “here to stay in India” but avoided a question about the future of its food delivery service UberEats’ India unit.
UberEats has lost more than a third of its business in India in recent months, industry sources told TechCrunch.
“India is a fundamental part of Uber’s growth going forward. It is a very important market for us, a a top-10 market for us. We will continue to invest here. Profitability metrics across our business here are improving,” Dara Khosrowshahi said.
Under Khosrowshahi, Uber has exited a significant number of its markets outside the US, including China, Russia and South-East Asia.
Khosrowshahi added that growth over the next decade was likely to be defined by markets such as India, Middle East and the African continent.