Uber’s main rival in India has some unsolicited advice for the American startup: go local.
“They have a very simple approach in terms of what the model is and how to (force) it into any geography,” Pranay Jivrajka, a senior executive at Ola Cabs, said on the sidelines of CNN’s Asia Business Forum in Bengaluru. .
Jivrajka, who until recently served as Ola’s chief operating officer, said Uber should abandon its one-size-fits-all approach and instead try to understand “local nuances” that would help it identify services that “riders and drivers really want.” “.
Uber declined to comment on Jivrajka’s comments.
Uber and Ola have been fighting a bitter battle for supremacy in India, a market with 1.3 billion potential customers, for years. The country has become increasingly important to Uber after a series of recent setbacks elsewhere in Asia.
The San Francisco-based company suspended its Taiwan operations last week, six months after selling its China operations to local rival Didi Chuxing. Didi, which is fighting Uber in key foreign markets, is one of Ola’s investors.
In India, Uber has often found itself playing catch-up with its Bengaluru-based rival. Ola is already offering its latest local product offering, which allows Indian users to book a car for an entire day, in 85 cities.
Ola also allows users to book one of India’s ubiquitous three-wheeled rickshaws, a service that Uber started but then discontinued in 2015.
“What has helped us is being attentive to what users want,” Jivrajka said.
Related: Uber rivals are teaming up in Asia
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick insists his company is not ready to leave India.
“We are losing, but we see a path to profitability,” Kalanick said during a visit to Delhi in December. “We’ll see you here for the long haul.”
Related: Uber suspends service in Taiwan as fines increase
India is not always an easy market for either company: tens of thousands of drivers representing both Uber and Ola went on strike in Delhi this week, demanding better wages and benefits. The Delhi government has offered to mediate the dispute.
Jivrajka did not comment on the protests, but said Ola’s main goal remains to attract more drivers to its platform.
“We need more drivers because the rate at which demand is increasing is much greater than the way supply is being added,” he said.
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Jivrajka also gave some advice to another Silicon Valley giant hoping to enter India: electric car maker Tesla.
“There are no rules on Indian roads,” Jivrajka said. “One thing a lot of people say is that if you can drive in India, you can drive anywhere.”
— Manveena Suri contributed reporting.
CNNMoney (Bangalore, India) First published February 13, 2017: 8:48 am ET
