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Taxi aggregator <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ola&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Ola</a> has applied for a city <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=taxi+licence&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">taxi licence</a> in national capital, New Delhi under the name <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ola+fleet&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Ola Fleet</a>. 
 
The app-only cab aggregator had applied for the licence on June 1 and the permit typically takes 30-40 days to be granted. 
 "New Delhi is one of the top three cities for both <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=uber&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Uber</a>," ET quoted one of the sources as saying. 
 In July only, Ola got a licence to operate as an "on-demand transportation aggregator" in Bengaluru, whereas <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>'s application was rejected due to incomplete paperwork. 
 
"While Ola is trying to legalise its models to be on the right side of the government and investors, Uber is hitting the court with recommendations to the scheme and hoping to maintain the status quo till favourable regulations are passed," an official told ET. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Ola-Uber-will-train-one-lakh-drivers-for-government-now/articleshow/53377057.cms">Ola, Uber will train one lakh drivers for government now</a> 
 
Last year, the Delhi government had introduced the city taxi scheme, under which any one licence-holder cannot register more than 2,500 cars and needs to follow conditions such as installation of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=GPS&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">GPS</a> devices, taxi meters and fare regulation. 
 
Also, licence-holder will have to ensure every taxi is a motor cab with a valid fitness certificate issued by the transport department, is driven on CNG, LPG, has an engine capacity of 600 cc and above and a seating capacity not exceeding seven, inclusive of the driver. 
 
"Already, both companies have created an incentive structure in a way that makes it impossible for drivers to work with both the companies. With the leasing model, both Ola and Uber want to secure supply," Jaspal Singh, cofounder of the transportation sector consultancy Valoriser Consultants, told ET.

Ola has done something which will make it way ahead of Uber. Find out

The last six months saw cab-aggregator company Ola spending much of its time strengthening its core, adding a breadth of services while also bringing on board a global rival of arch competitor Uber as its investor. This has made <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Ola-takes-its-Micro-service-to-75-cities/articleshow/52006224.cms">Ola</a> take a lead over its competitor Uber, supported by new categories of low-cost and luxury rides. 
 
Not only this, it has also increased focus on customer experience, and not to forget, it brought on board China's largest taxi-hailing service Didi Chuxing as an investor. 
 
It was in February that Ola launched a new lower-fare category and named it Micro, while also expanding to 75 more cities. This also brought a new league of customers to its portfolio, given that at least 75% of 'Micro' customers used air-conditioned taxis for the first time, as told by Ola spokesperson to ET. 
 
Ola, with 550,000 drivers registered on its platform, claims to command 70% of the market, while arch rival Uber says that it’s got a 50% share. While both Ola and Uber differ in their market share claims, none of them has been able to confirm their claims. 
 
"Ola is fully aware that it can't afford to lose market share," Jaspal Singh, founder of transport-focused Valoriser Consultants, told ET. "It will be difficult for them to get it back. Uber has a strong financial platform and is putting money (into India) aggressively. 
 
<a href="http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/3FhgkBZo0e9jngtwg9HnXbMuzSY=/2016%2F03%2F31%2Feb%2FAP_26011809.8a1e0.jpg">Image source</a>

Low-cost and luxury rides aside, Ola now has finance too to give Uber a tough competition

<keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> and <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword>, the two leading cab service providers in the country, have been in a constant battle because of their intense competition in the once fast-growing industry, and now, they have decided to further heat up the competition by launching specific services that target the value-conscious customers. 
 
Uber will be further investing in low-cost riding options like carpooling, bike taxis and auto rickshaw services so that he can appeal to a larger section of the society. "We want to make transportation available for everyone and cabs may not always be the most affordable option for all segments," said Amit Jain, VP, Uber India, about its decision to launch bikes and ricks for its customers. 
 In reply of this, Ola has come up with cheapest taxi-hailing service, called <keyword id="3291107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Micro">Ola Micro</keyword>, which provides smaller hatchbacks at minimum prices. "(It) will be the most pocket friendly mode of intra-city cab travel," said Pranay Jivrajka, Chief Operating Officer at Ola. 
 
One area where these companies are constantly facing regulatory pressure is surge pricing, their commonly used tool where cost of a cab ride increases during peak hours. It was only last week that the Karnataka state government declared that surge pricing for app-based ride-hailing services would not be allowed. 
 
This has happened because surge pricing makes the fare and other charges higher than the fare fixed by the government, which is against the rules. 
 
The competition has intensified also because of the demand for taxis going down, forcing the taxi app companies to increase the customer base for other products. "In order to tap customers who use public transport, there is a need to give economical and faster option for shorter distances," Jaspal Singh, founder of transportation consulting firm Valoriser Consultants, told ET.

Demand for taxis go down, forcing Uber and Ola to launch innovative services to remain relevant

This Diwali, cab drivers in Delhi were offered gifts ranging from LCD TVs and iPhones to scholarship for their children as cab operators are wooing drivers. Since availability of <keyword id="432469" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="cabs">cabs</keyword> is a crucial factor in winning customers’ trust and the supply is not able to keep pace with increasing demand, keeping the drivers happy seems to the key. 
 "Nothing drives an entrepreneur more than rewards," said Anand Subramaniam, director for marketing communications at <keyword id="1006428" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Olacabs">Olacabs</keyword>, which has even helped drivers buy cars. "We have had occasions when 100 cars were sold in one day. Drivers with best ratings get LCD TVs and washing machines," he added. 
 
Olacabs had received $210 million (Rs 1,290 crore) from Japan's Softbank last week. 
 Apart from Olacabs, other operators like <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>, Ola, <keyword id="108722" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Meru-Cabs">Meru Cabs</keyword> and TaxiForSure are also looking to expand themselves. In India, there are about 5.5 lakh commercial cabs for 10 large cities having a total population of about 6 crore. 
 
"The biggest challenge for the industry is to balance demand and supply," said Jaspal Singh, Valoriser Consultants.

Cab Operators Lure Drivers With Cash And Gifts

After taxi and auto services, Ola is now preparing to start shuttle bus services and is aggregating tourist and chartered buses for the same. 
 
In a bid to emerge as a complete urban transport solution provider, Ola is expected to launch the bus service in next two months. Like other services, Ola Bus will also be integrated in the same app from which people choose between autos and cabs. 
 
Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola, in a statement, said Ola is focussed on building mobility for a billion people. 
 
A senior company executive told Economic Times that Ola will not own any of the buses and use tourist and chartered busses to aggregate supply. 
Reportedly, Ola’s estimated worth is around Rs 15,700 crore, or $2.5 billion. 
 
"Passengers will be able to make bookings by entering the desired destination and time preference; the app will then indicate the closest bus with available seating,” the senior executive told ET. 
 
Sundeep Sahni, a vice-president for new initiatives, would rollout the bus services. 
 
As per the experts, Ola's bus service will expand its user base and boost revenue. 
 
Founded by IIT-Bombay graduates Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, the five-year-old startup is estimated to clock a revenue run rate of around $450-500 million, and is aiming for gross revenue of $1 billion by the end of 2015. 
 
"They started with taxis and moved to autos. The company wants to establish itself as a transport technology platform rather than be dependent on one mode," Jaspal Singh, cofounder of Valoriser Consultants, a market research firm for transport companies told the financial daily. 
 
As per reports, nearly 1.5 lakh buses transport around 70 million people every day and 23 million people travel by train. 
 
Apart from venturing into several new categories, including food and grocery delivery, Ola is presently working on carpooling, ecommerce on-demand deliveries and logistics. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

You may soon be hopping on to an Ola-bus!

BANGALORE: The fight to win over the Indian taxi passenger has intensified with aggregator Olacabs and cab hailing app Uber slashing prices by a fourth in Delhi—a development that is likely to force rivals to follow suit. 
 
While Ola has cut rates in its lowerend car business—Ola mini—to Rs 10 /km, Uber has cut prices for its premium segment Uber BLACK. Separately, the San Francisco-based taxi hailing app also announced that it will be launching its affordable ride service UberX in three more Indian cities: Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. “We are pushing our efficiency system to the maximum,” said Shailesh Sawlani, general manager of Uber in Mumbai. "We see this as a daily commute option for our riders and plan to maintain these prices if customers ride with us as much as we anticipate." 
 UberX Mumbai fares are Rs 15/km with a minimum base fare of Rs 50 and total minimum fare of Rs 125. The latest moves come after Uber cut its prices in Bangalore by 25% last month. Ola also reduced fares to Rs10/km for its <keyword id="2210965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ola-Mini">Ola Mini</keyword> service in the Garden City. “We have been able to optimise our inventory,” said Pranay Jivrajka, vice president of operations at Olacabs. 
 
According to industry estimates, taxi companies are struggling to keep pace with the rising demand and on average cannot accommodate a fifth of the bookings. To address this problem Ola said it will increase the number of cabs available on its mobile app by about 35% to 3,200 in Delhi alone. Ola’s total fleet size is about 15,000. 
 
“These price cuts are just a starting point to acquire customers and establishing the brand image till the time you hit a critical mass,” said Arvind Singhal, chairman of Technopak. “At Rs 10/km Ola is making losses on each Ola Mini ride,” said a source directly familiar with the matter. Same is the case with Uber, according to another source. Uber’s price drop in Bangalore is, however, for a limited duration. 
 The company has not specified the timeframe. Other competitors like TaxiFor-Sure are focussing on discount codes to expand the customer base instead of cutting prices. “We keep doing event-related promotions and offer discount vouchers from time to time,” said Aprameya Radhakrishna, founder and chief executive of <keyword id="1428790" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="TaxiforSure">TaxiForSure</keyword>. 
 
“Till the time, taxi aggregators will not face pressure to turn profitable, the freebies will continue,” said Jaspal Singh, cofounder of Valoriser Consultants, which provides market research services for transportation companies. “These companies are looking to build valuation by expanding geographic reach, recruiting more number of drivers and attracting bookings to increase revenue.” 
 However other aggregators like <keyword id="108722" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Meru-Cabs">Meru Cabs</keyword> and Savaari cabs feel that price cuts is not sustainable long-term. “Meru does not believe in price wars,” said Siddhartha Pahwa, CEO of MERU Cabs. “Consumers will not take a cab because it’s cheap but for its reliability, safety and professional service.”

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Ola has done something which will make it way ahead of Uber. Find out

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Low-cost and luxury rides aside, Ola now has finance too to give Uber a tough competition

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Demand for taxis go down, forcing Uber and Ola to launch innovative services to remain relevant

BI India Bureau

Cab Operators Lure Drivers With Cash And Gifts

BI India Bureau

You may soon be hopping on to an Ola-bus!

BI India Bureau

Win For Customers as Taxi Companies Like Olacabs, Uber Cut Fares In Delhi, Others May Follow

Economic Times

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