Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market

Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market

France-based BlaBlaCar, which connects drivers with potential passengers is launching in India on Wednesday. Initially, it will launch services in Delhi-Gurgaon and expand to other cities in coming months.

The Company will open an office in Delhi to run its Indian operations. The technology startup operates as an online marketplace, allowing car owners on long journeys to offer their spare seats to passengers.

The move comes at a time when safety has become an issue for transportation providers and existing taxi operators are finding hard to comply with transportation department norms after Uber rape incident.

Raghav Gupta, Country Manager for BlaBlaCar in India said, “We have spoken with the relevant authorities and they have been encouraging about this.”

“The company controls the rates in such a way that the car owner/driver cannot earn a profit. The earnings may just cover the fuel costs. This will keep commercial players including taxi operators at bay,” he added.

This is important to know that unlike taxi aggregators who have been asked to register as radio taxi operators, carpooling services in India are not bound by regulation as yet.

The company’s working model is different from other taxi operators as it offers cheaper ride than alternative forms of transport.

Earlier, in July 2013, BlaBlaCar has raised $100 Mn from Index Ventures and Accel Partners to fund international expansion. After launching its services in India, the company is also planning to enter in Brazil and Mexico.

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
Unlock 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
Unlock 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market-Inc42 Media
Amid Worrying Taxi Norms, BlaBlaCar Enters Indian Market-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company