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 to software as a service (SaaS). “Food delivery and quick commerce are fundamentally logistics businesses. Solve logistics, and you solve both these segments,” he said.
Mazumder, a former general manager of strategic partnerships at Swiggy, underscored inDrive’s global ambition in this space. “I cannot comment on the timeline for India, but with India’s rapid quick-commerce growth and our logistics expertise, there’s a sweet spot we aim to address,” he added.
Unlike peers Ola and Uber – Ola recently ventured into quick food delivery with ONDC’s Ola Dash, and Uber exited its Uber Eats business in 2020 – inDrive does not aim to become a food or quick-delivery platform. “Instead, we want to leverage our logistics capabilities to solve challenges these companies might face,” Mazumder noted.
Founded in Russia in 2013 and incorporated in the US in 2018, the “bid-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 optimising operations in these cities rather than expanding into new ones.
“Instead of spreading thin across 50 cities, we aim to deepen our presence and improve operations in the current cities,” Mazumder said. The company is also seeing strong growth, with a 16% monthly increase in active users, an 18% year-on-year rise in completed rides, and a 25% reduction in customer acquisition costs – thanks to its unique bargaining model for fare negotiation.
Mazumder further revealed plans to enhance 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-burning strategy. The platform continues to focus on its core strengths as it evaluates a larger role in India’s growing logistics and last-mile delivery market.
