BlaBlaCar, an intercity carpooling app, is reportedly planning to expand its business in India and open an office in the country. According to Nicolas Brusson, co-founder and COO of BlaBlaCar, the company is currently building a team and looking to open an office in Delhi. BlaBlaCar’s app currently has about 4 million users in India, and the company aims to double its user base in the country. BlaBlaCar entered the Indian market in 2015 and raised $578.5 million in funding so far. The shared mobility fleet size is forecast to grow from 7.02 million in 2021 to 9.70 million by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%. Cab-aggregators offering professional ride-sharing services have been facing regulatory issues in India. Ola and Uber dominate the ride-hailing services in India, while Rapido is emerging as an important player in the bike segment. However, all these players are facing license-related issues in different states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued the Motor Vehicle Aggregators Guidelines, 2020, to regulate such businesses running under carpooling apps. The guidelines mandate that private cars cannot be allowed to run under app-based taxis. Despite the regulatory challenges, the shared mobility fleet size in India is forecast to grow from 7.02 million in 2021 to 9.70 million by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%, according to a Researchandmarkets.com report. Earlier this month, the ban on bike taxis operated by Ola, Uber, and Rapido was lifted in the capital city of Delhi, while the Delhi government is still working on appropriate regulations for such aggregators in the state. Despite the regulatory challenges, the shared mobility fleet size in India is expected to grow from 7.02 million in 2021 to 9.70 million by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%, according to a report.