Are you amongst the 39.6% of people in India who used UBER in December, 2017? Or for that matter Jugnoo, or even Meru?
The graphic above is the market share of ride-share / ride-hailing companies in the Indian market in December, 2017.
India’s roads have been filling up with taxis over the last decade as its ride-hailing market gets more and more accessible. But on these ride-hailing roads, it seems there is no coming between the two giants – Ola and Uber.
Ola has the home advantage over its U.S. counterpart. Established in 2011, Ola has a wider geographical network than Uber. With a presence in 110 cities, the Ola app probably has a higher reach because of its provisions for a handful of regional languages. The tailor-made needs of allowing cash payment and providing different economic classes of cabs as well as auto-rickshaws gives Ola the edge. Since 2016, it has also overcome India’s unstable data connectivity by allowing bookings via text messages.
According to figures from Kalagato (reported by Statista), the Bangalore-based company currently enjoys a market share of 56.2%. Now, it is reaching for a share of the global market, as it has already expanded into Australia and plans to expand in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.
BE INDIAN, BUY INDIAN. Riding on Uber helps the American economy more than it helps ours. Ride on Ola – even the service is far better. Or even Jugnoo.
I have given my opinion purely based on personal experience of using Uber exclusively for over two years, before switching to Uber. I have even switched to LYFT when I am in the USA.
P.S. I do not have any financial interest in Ola or Jugnoo.