Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart

• Ola is reportedly looking to re-enter the quick commerce business.
• The company is also planning to offer UPI services to customers.
• The company’s earlier quick commerce service, Ola Dash was shut in 2022.

Ola tried its hand in the quick commerce business with Ola Dash but failed to crack the market and wind up operations in 2022. Amid the rising popularity of quick commerce apps such as Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto, Ola is now looking to re-enter the business.

According to a report by Economic Times, ANI Technologies, the parent company of Ola Cabs is planning on setting up dark stores to ride the quick commerce wave.

What are dark stores?

Dark stores are special warehouses used to fulfil online orders. They are not open to the public and are designed to make packing and shipping items fast and efficient.

Dark stores are often used by grocery stores, supermarkets, and other retailers to handle the growing demand for online shopping. The term "dark" refers to the fact that these stores are not open to the public, as they are not intended for in-store shopping.


According to the report, the dark stores will be operated by Ola and the company is planning on deploying robots to minimize human involvement.

“It's a dark store as a service where the whole setup will be delivered with significant automation but there will be some people involved,” a source familiar with the matter told ET.

Ola plans to offer UPI services

It’s not just quick commerce, Ola is reportedly planning on offering UPI services to its customers. The company already has the Ola Money app, which has found few takers. The company had converted from a full wallet to a small prepaid instrument (PPI) wallet earlier this year.

Bhavish Aggarwal is expected to talk about the company’s upcoming initiatives at an event on August 15.

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