The executive, originally from Iran, is presently visiting the country. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who is currently in India, not only views the country as a market with immense potential but also as a ‘state of mind’ for the company.
“The Indian customer is demanding in terms of both service and price,” noted Khosrowshahi, who assumed the role of Uber’s chief executive in August 2017, succeeding Travis Kalanick, the co-founder of the San Francisco-based company.
He went on to characterize India’s digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar, payment systems (Unified Payments Interface/UPI), and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), as ‘unique’ and ‘unlike anything anywhere in the world.’
“It is paving the way for five to ten years of incredible innovation at scale, positioning India in an advantageous position, and one in which we aim to contribute by fostering innovation as well,” he conveyed to ET.
When asked how Uber thrives in India, the 54-year-old executive, originally from Iran, emphasized the need to be entrepreneurial and create a service that is not only “super low-cost” but also meets expectations.
“Our strength lies in having lucrative markets like the United States and Europe, allowing us to invest in regions like India, which are not only high-potential but also substantial,” explained the former CEO of Expedia.
The ride-hailing platform’s market share in this region is currently ‘higher than it has ever been,’ as mentioned by Khosrowshahi. He added that, looking ahead, the Indian market holds the potential for profitability for the company.
With approximately 900,000 drivers across its operations in India, Khosrowshahi drew a comparison with Brazil, where Uber has over one million drivers, expressing confidence in reaching a similar milestone in India.
Furthermore, in the realm of bookings, India ranks among the top 10 countries for Uber, according to his disclosure.
