Indian rival slams Uber’s business model

Uber’s best rival in India has unsolicited advice for the American startup: Local Go.

“They have a very cookie approach in terms of what the model is and how [to] Force nourishes it in any geography, “said Pranay Jivrajka, a manager greater than Ola Cabs, on the sidelines of the CNN sales forum in Bangalore.

Jivrajka, which until recently was Ola’s COO, said that Uber should abandon its unique approach and try to understand the “local nuances” that would help identify the services that “users and drivers really want”.

Uber refused to comment on Jivrajka’s remarks.

Uber and Ola have a bitter battle for supremacy in India for years, a market with 1.3 billion potential customers. The country has taken on increased importance to Uber after a series of recent setbacks elsewhere in Asia.

The company based in San Francisco suspended its operations in Taiwan last week, six months after sold its operations in China at the local rival Didi Chuxing. Didi, who puts the fight in Uber on the main foreign markets, is one of Ola’s investors.

In India, Uber has often found itself to catch up with its rival based in Bangalore. Its most recent local product offer – allowing Indian users to book a car for a whole day – is already offered by Ola in 85 cities.

Ola also allows users to reserve one of the three-wheeled cars in India, a service that Uber started but then interrupted in 2015.

“What helped us are having an ear to the ground in terms of understanding what users want,” said Jivrajka.

Related: Uber rivals combine in Asia

Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick, insists that his business is not ready to leave India.

“We lose, but we see a way to profitability,” Kalanick said during a December visit to Delhi. “We see ourselves being here in the long term.”

Related: Uber suspends its service to Taiwan while the fines go up

India is not always a simple market for one or the other of companies – tens of thousands of drivers representing Uber and Ola have strikes in Delhi this week, demanding better remuneration and benefits. The Delhi government proposed to mediate the dispute.

Jivrajka did not comment on the demonstrations, but said that Ola’s main objective was more drivers on his platform.

“We need more drivers because the pace to which demand increases is much higher than the way the supply is becoming a detacit,” he said.

Related: Uber CEO abandons Trump’s Advisory Council

Jivrajka also had advice for another Silicon Valley giant in the hope of entering India: the Tesla electric manufacturer.

“There are no rules on Indian roads,” said Jivrajka. “One thing that many people say is that if you can drive to India, you can drive anywhere.”

– Manveena Suri contributed the reports

CNNMONEY (Bangalore, India) Posted for the first time on February 13, 2017: 8:48 am he