San Francisco-based cab-hailing startup Uber is looking to strengthen its technology team in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, as it looks to expand its operation in India. Uber is engaged in a fierce battle with the local cab-hailing giant Ola, to grab a larger market share.
“The idea is to hire as quickly as we can (the tech professionals in Hyderabad and Bengaluru),” Pradeep Parameswaran, president for India and South Asia at Uber told reporters at a press conference.
India has emerged as one of the largest markets for Uber, outside the US, as it continues to battle for market dominance. Uber had to sell its cab-hailing and food business in Southeast Asia for a 27% stake in Singapore-based ride-hailing startup Grab, making India an important market for Uber.
While Uber is present in 31 cities in India, and three in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, its rival Ola has a presence in more than 100 cities across India. Uber is looking to quickly expand its footprint in India, while Ola is exploring the overseas market and now competes with Uber at a global scale.
Last month, Ola raised $50 million from two new Chinese investors Sailing Capital and China-Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund (CEECF), it also announced its foray into the New Zealand market.
Earlier in August 2018, Ola expanded its cab-hailing business to the UK market.
Uber is looking to focus on localisation in Indian markets with culture and diversity, to enhance the experience of Indian customers. Over the years, Uber has grown its operations team in India from 15 to around 75.
Uber had announced its plan to launch aerial taxi services called Uber Elevate for India, starting with Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru by 2023. It is also continuously working towards pushing for the use of electric vehicles.
The ride-hailing startup is exploring a partnership with government to work on multi-modal transportation model.
“We think of ourselves providing any sort of transportation service for our platform and we are indulging in active conversations including waterways,” Parameswaran added.