With the given rise in the online ride-hailing segment, we can now hardly imagine our lives without it. Ola and Uber have become indispensable parts of our lives. Strikingly this duopoly is bracing for a shakeup, with inDrive shifting the gears in this segment to take on the Indian cab market.
inDrive, a startup founded in Russia’s Siberia, is trying to make its presence known in the saturated cab market in India. With excessive advertisement hoardings across Delhi-NCR and a whole lot of metro trains wrapped in its ads, inDrive is trying to make its potential customers aware of its existence. The online cab market in India is facing a trust deficit from drivers and passengers, which could be due to frequent cancellations, the existing distorted commission structure for drivers, and exorbitant fares.
About inDrive
The start-up was founded back in 2013 in the city of Yakutsk in Siberia and firmly adheres to the belief that this pricing system is what differentiates it from the competitors in the market. Both Ola and Uber in India, decide upon the fares through an algorithm, a process that is out of the control of the driver as well as the passengers.
The firm uses a unique pricing mechanism with a negotiation feature on it. The negotiation feature allows both drivers and passengers to initiate a ride at a mutually agreed fare. While booking a ride, a passenger can put forward the fare they are ready to pay, and drivers can put up their counter-offers until both of them agree on one price.
This perceived control over the process of deciding the ride fare has made inDrive’s proposition sound attractive to them. In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, a driver who has been using inDrive for the last three months told,
“When you are driving through Ola and Uber, you basically have to either accept or reject what they suggest on the app. But with inDrive, I can bargain for a price that I feel is fair. It makes me feel much more in control”
inDrive started its operations by onboarding drivers in Delhi-NCR last January by capturing them as they used to line up to fill their cabs at the CNG pump
With its extensive promotional activities, it has also seen a large chunk of passengers joining the app.
A driver using inDrive said,
“Today, I am driving for the whole day, around 10-11 hours, on inDrive alone. Just yesterday I uninstalled Ola. Uber, I still use it sometimes”
Another driver said,
“There are now enough passengers on inDrive that I don’t have to use another app”
Although inDrive is tight-lipped about how many drivers it has actually managed to onboard to its platform in India, a spokesperson for the firm has told The Indian Express that there are “thousands and thousands” of drivers across several cities that have signed up for the app. Currently, the app is available in major cities like Chandigarh, Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Delhi-NCR. It plans to launch its operations in Surat, Mumbai, and Pune.
In 2022, its app saw a surge of 45 percent increase in downloads going from 42.6 million in 2021 to 61.8 million in 2022. Its user base swelled by 60 percent and revenues increased by 87 percent. The firm announced that it had achieved unicorn status earlier that year with a valuation of $1.23 billion following a funding round of $150 million.
With another trick up its sleeve, inDrive has promised that its commission from the fare of each ride will be kept lower than that of its competitors. Platforms like Ola and Uber usually take more than 25 percent of a passenger’s payment and use a typical algorithmically deduced surge pricing. So far inDrive’s commissions’ range between 9.5 percent to 10 percent of the fare.
Low commission rates
The spokesperson said that inDrive has a trial period of 3-6 months when it launches in a new city during which it does not charge any commission from the driver. But after that period ends and the platform has traction in that area, it starts taking commissions from the driver. It has started the process in cities like Chennai, Lucknow, and Ludhiana. The spokesperson said that the commission is less than 10 percent currently.
However, the drivers say that when Ola and Uber started in the Indian market they didn’t charge commissions either but things have changed massively since then.
The lower commission rates have led to fewer cancellations of rides since the drivers need to pay up less for each ride and they know exactly how much they are going to earn. However, the passengers did come up with a grievance that it doesn’t have any alert system to let the passenger know that the driver has deviated from the suggested route. The spokesperson claimed that it does have a support team that works around the clock and is available through textual messages.
Daylight robbery is not quite usual but it does not strike out the fact that it is highly possible. Many a time cases as such have surfaced online where normal people were robbed in broad daylight. Recently, the passengers in a taxi got robbed inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel in Delhi on Saturday afternoon.
Four men rob taxi passengers at gunpoint in broad daylight and here is what Delhi Police have to say
On Saturday, a delivery agent and his associate were robbed at gunpoint by a group of unknown assailants, stealing around Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh cash from them. In spite of having 16 security guards in the Pragati Tunnel, there were no CCTV cameras installed. Although the Public Works Department assured that cameras are installed, they did not confirm their operational conditions.
The victims made a complaint at Tilak Marg police station later in the evening. The Pragati tunnel is a 1.5 km tunnel that connects New Delhi with Sarai Kale Khan and Noida. The police said that following the complaint made by the victims, a case has been filed under Sections 397 IPC which covers robbery, or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt and 34 (common intention).
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pranav Tayal, has shared that the complainant can be identified as Patel Sajan Kumar and his associate Jigar Patel. Patel Sajan works as a delivery agent for a private firm in Chandni Chow and has informed the police that he and Jigar were going to Gurugram to deliver the cash to a client.
As per the registered complaint, the two of them hired an Ola cab from near Red Fort. As soon as the cab entered the Pragati Maidan tunnel from Ring Road, four assailants on two motorcycles surrounded their cab and robbed the cash off them keeping them at gunpoint.
Delhi Minister Atishi also took to Twitter and slammed the incompetency of the Lieutenant Governor. She tweeted,
LG साहब: अगर आपको @ArvindKejriwal के कामों का क्रेडिट लेने से फ़ुरसत मिले तो कभी अपनी संवैधानिक ज़िम्मेदारी पर भी ध्यान दीजिए। दिल्ली वालों को सुरक्षा देना आपका काम है। और अब दिन दहाड़े दिल्ली में चोरी, डकैती और क़त्ल की वारदातें हो रही हैं। या तो आप सुरक्षा की ज़िम्मेदारी लीजिए,… https://t.co/RG4c9ozWnW
Coming across train service complaints on social media is nothing new. Very often than not we find passengers complaining about bland food or bugs in the cooked food provided to them. Quite recently someone took to Twitter regarding a complaint where they found plastic in the railway food. But the latest thing that happened has actually stunned everyone when a video of the roof of a passenger coach train surfaced online.
Indian Railways slammed over water leakage in AC coach
Netizens have harshly criticized the poor management and maintenance of the train coaches after a surprising video surfaced online. Recently, a video went viral on social media platforms in which it can be clearly seen rainwater seeping in through the roof of the 2-tier AC coach of the Avantika Express. The Congress party also reshared the video uploaded by a passenger and took to Twitter to play the blame game immediately.
“काश खोखले प्रचार की जगह रेलवे के लिए कुछ काम किया होता। झंडी दिखाने वाले रेल मंत्री अभी विदेश में हैं, नाम वाले रेल मंत्री ध्यान दें। (Wish some actual work would have been done for the Railways in place of empty propaganda. The railway minister who shows the flag is currently abroad, the named railway minister should pay attention)”
काश खोखले प्रचार की जगह रेलवे के लिए कुछ काम किया होता।
झंडी दिखाने वाले रेल मंत्री अभी विदेश में हैं, नाम वाले रेल मंत्री ध्यान दें। pic.twitter.com/FNLvQL1Ihu
It was a jab at the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who recently flagged off 11 Vande Bharat Express, the Railways’ newest hi-tech train.
Railways response to the above-mentioned tweet
The Western Railway took to Twitter to respond to that tweet hours later and stated that all the coaches of the Avantika Express train were properly checked.
“All coaches of Avantika Exp have been checked thoroughly & issue has been attended to promptly. The train has commenced its return journey & there are no such issues now. Passenger convenience is of utmost priority & WR leaves no stone unturned to resolve passengers’ grievances”
All coaches of Avantika Exp have been checked thoroughly & issue has been attended promptly.
The train has commenced its return journey & there are no such issues now.
Passenger convenience is of utmost priority & WR leaves no stone unturned to resolve passengers’ grievances. pic.twitter.com/V9QyKiIowJ
Thandi hawa ke sath sath sarkar ne barish ke pani ka bhi anand lene ke liye ye nayab tarikib lagai hai isme bhrastachar bilkul nhi hai aur haa jine murko ke ye lgta hai isme amir log travel krte hai to unko ye bta du amir log plan me jate hai aur dikhave wale amir train me….🤐
— Mahua Moitra Fans (@MahuaMoitraFans) June 25, 2023
This is probably not the first time that something has happened as per the claims of this Twitter user,
Recently travelled from 12424 Rajdhani Express to #Guwahati , had a very bad experience. As it was raining the rainwater was leaking in every coach and also there was no water in most of the dirty toilets. TTE ignored the complaint and asked to register complaint via phone.
On Sunday, Shah Rukh Khan aka the King Khan, completed 31 years in Bollywood industry. It was in 1992, when he made his debut in the industry with the movie Deewana opposite late actress Divya Bharti. As the fans celebrated the big day on social media with amazing messages and tributes for the actor, SRK also decided to celebrate the occasion with his fans in his own style.
Shah Rukh Khan completed 31 years in Bollywood
He took some time out of his busy schedule and held an #AskSRK session on Twitter. Starting the question and answer session on Twitter, SRK wrote:
“Wow just realised it’s 31 yrs to the day when Deewana hit the screens. It’s been quite a ride mostly a good one. Thanks all and we can do 31minutes of #AskSRK ??”
In no time, his Tweet was flooded with a variety of questions from fans for their favorite actor. SRK, who is known for his hilarious sense of humor, gave amazing replies to his fans with wit and humor.
Wow just realised it’s 31 yrs to the day when Deewana hit the screens. It’s been quite a ride mostly a good one. Thanks all and we can do 31minutes of #AskSRK ??
While interacting with the fans, King Khan stumbled upon a question that was asked by a female fan, who is currently pregnant with twins. The fan came up with an epic Tweet for the Pathaan actor. She asked:
“sir i am pregnant with twin babies..wish me luck i will name them pathaan and jawan.”
sir i am pregnant with twin babies..wish me luck i will name them pathaan and jawan ❤️ #AskSRK 5
Besides all the funny and hilarious answers, SRK was also seen giving some serious answers. A fan asked him if he would do a movie like Swades again, a role that was loved by one and all
Talking about his work front, SRK made a comeback after a hiatus of 4 years with Siddharth Anand’s blockbuster action-thriller Pathaan, which hit the theatres in January this year. SRK will be next seen in the upcoming action-thriller Jawan, which will be released on September 7th.
Jawan is directed by South filmmaker Atlee. Produced under SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment, the movie also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles.