Fancy car-booking service Uber has already rolled into three new Asian cities so far this summer – Taipei, Seoul, then Shanghai – and the expansion is far from over. Today, Uber revealed that it has launched into stealth beta on the streets on Bangalore, India’s techiest city.
Not so flashy: Uber will also use this low/mid-range Toyota model in Bangalore.
As is Uber’s tradition, it celebrated the launch by giving rides to two local celebrities. For Bangalore, musician Raghu Dixit and actress-turned-entrepreneur Vasundhara Das were the first to be chauferred in a Mercedes S-Class after booking a ride via the Uber app. But not all its cars in Bangalore are so nice – the other two models will be the dreary Toyota Corolla Altis (pictured) and Honda Civic. Yes, Civics.
Perhaps that’s why Uber’s pricing in Bangalore is so low, with a minimum fare of Rs 250, which is just $3.70 – way cheaper than the minimum ride of $9 in Shanghai, or $9.35 in Singapore. By contrast, the service uses only the biggest Mercs and high-end BMWs and Audis in Shanghai and most other Asian cities.
It’s likely that Uber’s Bangalore operations will remain in stealth mode for only the city’s most clued-up nerds, before a more high-profile launch to the public later in September or October. Much of US-based Uber’s $258 million in new funding will go towards expansion across Asia.
(Via NextBigWhat)
(Editing by Paul Bischoff)
The post Uber rolls into India, launches in Bangalore with lower prices and less flashy cars appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Uber rolls into India, launches in Bangalore with lower prices and less flashy cars
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