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There is a glass ceiling for the Indian startups. If I want to meet the PM, it won't be as easy as a foreign guy coming to India. I understand that dynamic, and we need to make sure government sees us as major contributors to society, which is not full there.
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I think we are a company that thrives on a good challenge.
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We are building towards the future where people need not own their own cars.
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I learnt early that always being analytical is important for a business. Being analytical as an attitude is more important than just having the aptitude.
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Even before IIT, I always had an inclination to do something, even when I was in school.
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Our focus is on the customers and improving their experience. We believe that if we do that well, competition, prices, and profits will all take care of themselves.
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The value that SoftBank saw in us was that we are a technology company in the mobile Internet space.
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The Indian context is unique. The market is very large, and I believe there is enough room for many players to innovate on different parts of the transportation business. That said, if somebody just brings an American concept to India, it'll only go so far. You have to build for the Indian needs and dynamics.
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It's much easier for non-Indian companies to raise capital because they have profitable markets elsewhere. You might call it capital dumping, predatory pricing, or anti-WTO, but it's a very unfair playing field for Indian startups.
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Focus on solving real problems and not on making money. There will be enough takers for your solutions. You will help make lives of some people better, and money will follow.
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Companies need to weed out drivers who dont drive well or have got poor ratings from the customers.
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The crux of what makes a company Indian is its entrepreneurship. The management needs to be in India.
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As entrepreneurs, we sometimes do not understand the complexities of running a government.
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As far as Ola is concerned, we are focused and determined to build a business that can sustain and be impactful.
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Globally, ride sharing is a very intense industry with a lot of money being thrown around.
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When I explained my business model to my family, they asked if I was going to open a travel agency.
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Don't take shortcuts while building your company - keep trying for the best.
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Global companies can raise capital much easier than local Indian companies can because they have access to many more markets than we do, and this ends up distorting competition.
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There are many people who think we had the first-mover advantage. But actually, when Uber came to India, Ola was doing only 2,000 rides per day . We had less than half a million dollars of funding.
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Though we work with rental agencies, a large part of our fleet comprises individual drivers.
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Maps help us in tracking our cabs - if they're idle, headed for a booking, or in the midst of a trip. With custom systems built atop maps using available APIs, we are able to manage our inventory extremely well, predict ETAs for customers, and optimally allocate the nearest cab to a booking request.
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Compared to Uber, we have a much local business model. We allow the customers to pay in cash as well as use our prepaid wallet. We allow them to book through call centres and pre-book for future travels.
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Not all of Microsoft's businesses are successful, but they have every technology possible.
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In Mumbai, even Bollywood stars use autos when they are in a hurry.