inDrive eyes last mile delivery – Express Mobility News

General Catalyst-backed ride-hailing platform inDrive is exploring an entry into the last-mile delivery market, according to its India country manager Pratip Mazumder.

Speaking to FE, Mazumder highlighted the potential of a “logistics-as-a-service” model, drawing parallels with software-as-a-service (SaaS). “Food delivery and fast commerce are fundamentally logistics businesses. Solve the logistics, and you solve these two segments,” he said.

Mazumder, former general manager of strategic partnerships at Swiggy, highlighted inDrive’s global ambition in this area. “I cannot comment on the timeline for India, but with the rapid growth of trade in India and our expertise in logistics, there is a sweet spot we want to address,” he added.

Unlike its peers Ola and Uber – Ola recently ventured into fast food delivery with ONDC’s Ola Dash, and Uber exited its Uber Eats business in 2020 – inDrive does not aim to become a platform fast food or delivery. “Instead, we want to leverage our logistics capabilities to solve the challenges these companies might face,” Mazumder noted.

Founded in Russia in 2013 and incorporated in the US in 2018, the “offer-based” platform entered India the same year and is now operational in 13 cities. Valued at $1.23 billion (Tracxn), inDrive’s immediate focus is on optimizing operations in these cities rather than expanding into new cities.

“Instead of spreading ourselves thin across 50 cities, we aim to deepen our presence and improve our operations in current cities,” Mazumder said. The company is also experiencing strong growth, with a 16% monthly increase in active users, an 18% year-over-year increase in the number of trips taken and a 25% reduction in transportation costs. customer acquisition – thanks to its unique pricing negotiation model. .

Mazumder further revealed plans to improve the app’s user experience, aiming to make it “simpler and more intuitive.”

Notably, inDrive prides itself on being cash efficient rather than adopting a cash burn strategy. The platform continues to focus on its core strengths as it plans to play a bigger role in India’s growing last-mile logistics and delivery market.