Uber CEO Says Indians Don’t Want To Pay For Anything

Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, during his visit to India and participation in a Bangalore conference, discussed the significant challenges the ride-sharing firm faces in the Indian market. He pointed out that Indian consumers expect exceptional service quality at minimal costs.

Khosrowshahi, in a conversation with Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani at a Bengaluru event on Thursday, February 22, described India as one of the most tricky markets. He stated, "India is one of the toughest markets out there; they (Indians) are so demanding and do not pay for anything. If we can succeed here, we can succeed anywhere else." He further mentioned how the Indian market has shaped Uber's focus on enhancing the quality of its economical services.

While discussing the topic of Building Population Scale Technology, Khosrowshahi hinted at Uber's plans to expand its services in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments. He also acknowledged the unique aspect of India's ongoing development of digital public infrastructure, referring to systems like UPI and the India stack, a concept championed by Nilekani.

The Uber boss at a conference in the US

The Uber CEO admitted that the California-based company faced difficulties adapting to the COVID pandemic, with a loss of approximately $3 billion in net profits and the need to use its mobility sector to support its delivery services.

Uber has also entered into an agreement with ONDC, a government-supported initiative. Prabhjeet Singh, Uber India and South Asia President, expressed, "Our vision for Uber in India is to address the mobility requirements of all Indians, aligning with ONDC's aim to democratise digital commerce. We are eager to initiate this journey through our MoU with ONDC, exploring ways to expedite our goal of making Uber a platform for every Indian's daily mobility needs."