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Uber, the mobile app based car rental giant, has launched under secret testing mode in India – choosing Bangalore as it’s first location to roll out its service.
The official Uber blog shared that they have been rolling out “Secret Ubers” to test out the service and let some celebrity users like Raghu Dixit and Vasundhara Das, to use the product.
Uber will be phasing out the roll out and, like any other launch, will be doing so slowly.
[quote_simple]Whether it’s getting to your favorite pub for happy hour or the iconic MTR for filter coffee, the endless one-ways and the incessant symphony of car horns can make even the most staunch local residents lose their minds. Bangaloreans deserve an easy and classy way to get around town, and Uber is here to deliver.[/quote_simple]
The company recently launched its Dubai and China operations as well.
[quote_simple]Over the next several weeks, Uber will be in “secret testing mode” in Bangalore; availability will be limited as we work to make more cars available and test our pricing.[/quote_simple]
The pricing that they’ve offered in India is very attractive which is quite an offering for the aspirational Indian.
What’s the deal with Uber?
Simply put, Uber connects passengers with drivers of luxury vehicles for hire through their mobile app.
All you have to do is use its mobile app to book a trip, and then you can track where exactly your cab is through it. At the end of the trip your credit card is automatically charged for the trip – basically providing you with a no-nonsense, hassle-free luxury ride to anywhere at anytime of the day.
Why so much buzz about Uber?
Uber has been in the news a lot recently and is considered one of the hottest startups in the US.
The coming of Uber in India is interesting. Given it’s recent 258 million USD funding from Google Ventures, gives it significant financial muscle to scale rapidly in India.
The San Francisco, California based Uber had raised nearly $50 million from investors in the past as well. The company is backed by Menlo Ventures, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Goldman Sachs. Uber offers its services in major cities of the US, in London and Paris.
Uber has raised a total of $360 million, commanding a stunning valuation of about $3.5 billion. Also there are also the rumors of it’s deal with Google to buy driver-less cars, which will be added to Uber’s fleet in the future.
So it’s definitely a very interesting company entering the Indian market and worth looking out for.
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