Uber’s biggest competitor in India has some unsolicited advice for the American startup: Go local.
“They model what and how [to] “We can’t force it to any region,” Ola Cabs executive Pranay Jivrajka said on the sidelines of CNN Asia Business Forum in Bengaluru.
Jivlakar, who was previously chief operating officer of Ola, said Uber should move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and instead try to understand “local nuances” to help it find services that “users and drivers really want”.
Uber declined to comment on Jivrajka’s remarks.
Uber and Ola have been locked in a fierce battle for years in India, a market with 1.3 billion potential customers. India is a big deal for Uber after a string of recent setbacks elsewhere in Asia.
The San Francisco-based company suspended operations in Taiwan last week, six months after it sold its China business to local rival Didi Chuxing, an investor in Ola that is competing with Uber in key overseas markets.
In India, where Uber has often found itself playing catch-up to its Bengaluru-based rival, its latest local product — which allows Indian users to book a car for a whole day — is already available in 85 cities by Ola.
Ola also allows users to book three-wheeled auto-rickshaws that are ubiquitous in India, a service that Uber originally launched but discontinued in 2015.
“What helps us is that we can pay close attention to what our users want,” Jivrajka said.
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Uber CEO Travis Kalanick insists his company is not ready to leave India yet.
“We are losing money but we see a path to profitability. We can survive in the long run,” Kalanick said during a visit to Delhi in December.
Related: Uber suspends service in Taiwan due to increased fines
The Indian market has not been all plain sailing for either company — this week, tens of thousands of drivers representing Uber and Ola went on strike in Delhi, demanding better wages and benefits. The Delhi government has expressed its willingness to mediate the dispute.
Jivlakar did not comment on the protest but said Ola’s main focus remains on attracting more drivers to its platform.
“We need more drivers because demand is growing much faster than supply is growing,” he said.
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Jivlakar also offered some advice for another Silicon Valley giant looking to enter India: electric car maker Tesla.
“There are no rules on Indian roads,” Jivlakar said. “A lot of people say if you can drive in India, you can drive anywhere.”
—Manveena Suri contributed reporting
CNNMoney (Bangalore, India) First published on February 13, 2017: 8:48 AM EST
