India’s taxi wars took a sharp turn in 2013 when San Francisco-based Uber launched its services in the country. The world’s largest app-based ride-hailing firm—then valued at over $3.5 billion—was up against a handful of local startups founded by young, first-time entrepreneurs who were mostly inspired by Uber’s success.
Six years on, Uber is fighting a tough battle for growth in the country’s $10 billion ride-hailing market. Its fiercest competitor is Bengaluru-based Ola, which was founded in December 2010. Uber and Ola were pitted against each other from the word go. Today, they each have a market share of 35% and 45% respectively, and it’s still anybody’s game.