Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is on a week-long visit to India to solidify the ride-hailing company's strategic investment plans for the country. The visit comes amid intense competition from local startup Rapido, which is rapidly gaining market share and has reportedly surpassed Uber and Ola in terms of monthly active users between January and February this year.
Meetings with Ministers
On Monday and Tuesday, Khosrowshahi met several ministers in Delhi, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. The discussions focused on Uber's operations and mobility initiatives in India, as well as the company's future roadmap in a market that Khosrowshahi previously described as one of the toughest.
Key Directives from the Government
Minister Pralhad Joshi stated in a post on X that it was strongly insisted that Uber India create an ecosystem where its existing fleet would transition towards electric vehicles (EV). Additionally, Uber was directed to submit a self-auditing report on the existence of dark patterns and an action taken report on such patterns at the earliest.
Upcoming Visits to Tech Centers
Khosrowshahi is scheduled to visit Mumbai and then head to Uber's tech centers in Bengaluru and Hyderabad later this week, according to sources familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for Uber India declined to comment on the details of the visit.
Growth in Driver Partners
The CEO highlighted that the number of earners (drivers) on Uber's platform in India has quadrupled since 2022, indicating significant growth in the company's driver network.
Khosrowshahi's trip follows closely after Walmart CEO John Furner's visit to the country, underscoring the importance of the Indian market for global tech companies.
