Uber’s biggest rival in India has some unsolicited advice for US startups.
“They asked what the model was and how [to] We will force it into every region,” Ola Cabs chief executive Pranay Jivrajka said on the sidelines at CNN’s Asia Business Forum in Bangalore.
Jivrajka, who until recently was Ola’s COO, said Uber will move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and instead seek to understand “regional nuances” to help identify services “users and drivers actually want.” said it should.
Uber declined to comment on Jivrajka’s remarks.
For years, Uber and Ola have been in a fierce battle for supremacy in India, a market of 1.3 billion potential customers. The country has grown in importance for Uber after a string of recent setbacks elsewhere in Asia.
The San Francisco-based company last week halted operations in Taiwan, six months after selling its China operations to local rival Didi Chuxing. Didi, who is battling Uber in key overseas markets, is one of Ola’s investors.
In India, Uber often catches up with its Bangalore-based rivals. A state-of-the-art local service for all-day car booking for Indian users is already offered by Ola in 85 cities.
Ola also allows users to book one of India’s ubiquitous three-wheeled rickshaws. The service was started by his Uber but was discontinued in 2015.
“What has helped us is listening to the ground in terms of understanding what our users want,” Jivrajka said.
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Uber CEO Travis Kalanick claims his company is not ready to leave India.
“We are losing, but we see a path to profitability,” Kalanick said during a visit to Delhi last December. “We think we are here for the long term.”
Related: Uber suspends service in Taiwan, fined
India has not always been a simple market for either company, with tens of thousands of drivers representing both Uber and Ola going on strike in Delhi this week demanding better wages and benefits.The Delhi government offered to mediate the dispute.
Jivrajka declined to comment on the protests, but said Ola’s main focus remains to bring more drivers to the platform.
“The pace at which demand is increasing is much faster than the way supply is being aggregated, so we need more drivers,” he said.
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Jivrajka has also advised another Silicon Valley giant, electric car maker Tesla, that wants to enter India.
“There are no rules on Indian roads,” said Jivlaika. “One thing many people say is that if you can drive in India, you can drive anywhere.”
— Manveena Suri contributed to the report
CNNMoney (Bangalore, India) First published February 13, 2017: 8:48 AM ET
