Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder of Ola, has dismissed allegations from MapmyIndia that Ola Electric copied their technology. Aggarwal accused MapmyIndia of attempting to leverage Ola Electric’s recent IPO for their own benefit.
“We sent a legal notice to MapmyIndia, but they have not responded,” Aggarwal said. He criticised the digital navigation firm for making baseless claims and attempting to benefit from Ola Electric’s successful listing, which raised Rs 5,500 crore on August 9.
“Empty vessels make more sound. These people woke up suddenly someday. Ola Electric is not even in the maps business. In the run-up to Ola electric IPO they just wanted to ride on its coattails. We have also given them legal notice, their reply has not come till date,” Aggarwal told news agency PTI.
MapmyIndia had issued its notice on July 23, just days before Ola Electric’s prospectus was filed. The company challenged Ola’s claim of developing its own navigation maps, calling it a “gimmick.”
In response, MapmyIndia’s CEO Rohan Verma stated in an earnings call on August 12 that Ola had previously licensed MapmyIndia’s data and APIs but had breached terms of use. MapmyIndia has not yet provided an update on Ola’s legal notice.
Aggarwal, meanwhile, asserted that Ola has developed its own mapping technology through acquisitions and extensive data collection from its ride-sharing operations. He suggested that MapmyIndia’s complaints might stem from competitive concerns.
Aggarwal said that he will ask MapmyIndia to substantiate its claim.
“Let’s fight this. We are very clear. We have built our own mapping technology. We acquired a company. We have a lot of data on mapping because we’ve been running the ride-sharing business for so long. We have our own tech now. Our mapping is being used by so many customers. It might be hurting them, that is why they are making noise,” he said.
Ola’s mapping technology is provided by its subsidiary, Geospoc Geospatial Services, according to IPO documents. Aggarwal expressed confidence in Ola Maps’ superiority.
