'India fundamental to Uber's growth story, investing in talent': CEO

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on Tuesday said that India is fundamental to the company's growth and the US-based ride-hailing platform is investing in talent to develop products that can be taken to other countries. Khosrowshahi, who is on a five-day trip to India, also launched the 'Public Transport' feature on the Uber app in Delhi to allow commuters to plan their trips using Delhi metro. "India is a fundamental part of Uber's growth story. It is a very important market for us. It is among the top 10 markets for us and we continue to believe in and invest in India. Our business here is improving," Khosrowshahi told reporters in New Delhi.

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'We see innovation'

He noted that some products were improving on the profitability scale and that the company would continue to invest in long-term growth profile of India. Khosrowshahi added that India not only offers scale but is also an innovation gateway for Uber to the rest of the developing world.

"Over the next 10 years, this growth is going to be defined by markets like India, Africa, and the Middle East more than the developed markets such as the US and Europe. What we see here is obviously scale, (and) we see innovation," he said.

Khosrowshahi said that he is visiting Uber's centres in Bengaluru and Hyderabad that work on various products and features. Many of these features like cash rides and Uber Lite were developed in India and then extended to other countries. The company said it will expand its headcount to about 1,000 people in these centres over the next few months. "We can build in India, and then export all around the world," he added. Talking about the partnership with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Uber India and South Asia President Pradeep Parameswaran said 'Public Transport' will provide live transit information about Delhi Metro and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on the Uber app.

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Uber Transit Journey Planning

This will make travel easier for riders, he added. Uber had won a public bid to offer its mobility services across 210 Delhi Metro stations. Under the Public Transport option in the Uber app, riders will be able to see the fastest and cheapest routes, as well as real-time schedules and departure time for public transportation. It will be rolled out for customers in a phased manner. Uber Transit Journey Planning was first launched at the beginning of 2019. Since then, it has been launched in eight cities globally - Denver, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Sydney.

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'Enhance commuting experience'

Mangu Singh, Managing Director of DMRC, said, "The Metro network today spans over 377 km with 274 Metro stations. This new initiative integrating public transport with mobility operators like Uber will certainly boost first and last-mile connectivity solutions for around six million passenger journeys performed in the system daily. "Partnership with on-demand mobility operators like Uber will help enhance the commuting experience with seamless last-mile connectivity, he added. Uber will get a designated space for pickup spots at the stations, as well as inside for kiosks.

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