Ola Cabs to take Uber rivalry to Australia roads

Bengaluru-based ride hailing app Ola has announced plans to enter its first international market. It will launch its operations in Australia early this year, where again the competition will be with rival firm Uber.

Uber and Ola are fighting for the market share in India. Uber had launched its operations in Australia in 2012 and currently operates in 19 Australian cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.

As part of its international expansion, Ola has begun onboarding private hire vehicles and driver-partners onto its platform in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, according to a company statement released on Tuesday. The company has invited them to learn more about driving and registering with Ola.

Further details of the start of commercial operations, which will be subject to necessary regulatory approvals, will be announced later.

"We are very excited about launching Ola in Australia and see immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem which embraces new technology and innovation," Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said.

The company aims to create a high-quality and affordable travel experience for citizens with a strong focus on driver-partners and the community at large.

Founded in 2011, Ola has over 125 million users and more than one million driver-partners across 110 cities on its platform in India. On an aggregate basis, Ola serves as many as a billion rides annually, through its platform.

The company said it is taking a driver-partner focused approach to ride-sharing — investing in its partners to arm them with the necessary tools, skills and incentives to offer best-in-class transport experiences. The firm is also recognised for its collaboration with governments and communities to solve local transport issues in innovative and meaningful ways and will build on these values as it launches in Australia, the statement added.