Uber's chief rival in India, Ola, introduced a brand new car entertainment platform dubbed as Ola Play on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The main idea behind this newfangled platform that lets passengers listen to their favorite music is to lure riders with gadgets, as well as leave global giant Uber behind in the booming market. Ola Play is devised to attract business travelers that opt for Ola Prime, which is basically mid-sized sedans.
Ola is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to retain its market share in India, where competitors like Uber are pressing forward, according to The Financial Express.
Uber poses a significant threat to the Bangalore, India-based online transportation network company, particularly after selling its China operation to Didi Chuxing earlier this year. This decision enabled Uber to not only separate itself from the extravagant competition, but also to divert its focus completely on India, the company's second largest market outside the United States.
Ola Play is based on the concept of in-trip entertainment, which has previously been used in a slew of initiatives like Uber's affiliation with Pandora and Spotify. It features a couple of touch-sensitive consoles (one for the driver and one for the commuter), which boasts an array of goodies such as trip-based features, entertainment options, and an internet browser just to name a few.
But that's not all; Ola Play syncs with a customer's smartphone to give them access to services such as Apple Music, Fynd, Audio Compass, and Sony LIV from their own gadget on the screens.
Aside from collaborating with tech giants like Apple, Ola teamed up with Indian automotive company Mahindra and Mahindra and Qualcomm to work on the hardware, TechCrunch reported.
Ola is also backed by China's Didi Chuxing and Japan-based SoftBank Group among other top dogs.
After acquiring $1.3 billion in funding, it is now valued at over a whopping $5 billion. Ola is reportedly gearing up to raise another $1 billion in 2016, according to reliable sources close to the company.
Ola co-founder and chief executive Bhavish Aggarwal remained tight-lipped about the company's fundraising plans; however, he noted that there is room for numerous players in the Indian market.
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