Uber to replicate US model in India; to enrol ex-servicemen as drivers

The programme will be called Uber Fauji; will help ex-service members get access to vehicle loans so they can become drivers on the platform

US-based taxi app service Uber is set to bring another American feature to India. On Monday, it announced an agreement with the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) under the Ministry of Defence to create opportunities for ex-servicemen and women on its platform. The programme will be called Uber Fauji, the Indian version of a programme the $50-billion company is running in the US, called Uber Military.

The programme in the US asks veterans and their spouses to sign up to be Uber drivers. In February, the company had 10,000 veterans as part of its programme.

AWPO will give Uber a larger pool of reliable drivers, a currency, which took a beating after one of its drivers was convicted of rape. AWPO has around 100,000 ex-servicemen on the books, a majority of them will be eligible to be part of the driver workforce.
 

Uber, on the other hand, will help ex-service members get access to vehicle loans so they can become drivers on the platform. "At Uber, we understand that members of our armed forces are some of the nation's most talented, committed and skilled people. It is our honour to provide access to opportunities and empowerment on the Uber platform," said Amit Jain, president, Uber India.

This is not the first time Uber has tried to replicate their programmes, which were successful in the US, in India. Uber Peer To Peer, a ride-sharing app, was launched in Punjab as a pilot last week. Uberpool, a car pooling service, is another concept that was strong in the US and has found takers in India. "In the cab business, you can copy business models from the US to India because the need is almost the same. One of Uber's biggest problem is supply, which programmes such as these fulfil," said Pinaki Ranjan Mishra, partner and national leader, EY.

UberEats, a service that delivers ready-to-eat food through Uber drivers, has not yet made its way to India but it could be next on the cards.

"I am not sure if that is a product that will work in India. We are still a country that likes fresh food. We are not too keen on food that will need to be microwaved or is frozen. Not all models can be copy-pasted," said the founder and CEO of a food-tech company.