Ride-hailing firm Yaary launches on ONDC for Hyderabad auto, taxi drivers

Service doesn't charge fees from drivers and aims to expand to two million customers in India

A group representing Hyderabad’s auto rickshaw and taxi drivers on Monday announced the launch of Yaary, a ride-hailing company like Ola and Uber and available on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), the open e-commerce network launched by the government.

Yaary has more than 20,000 drivers in Hyderabad and is collaborating with other associations in Indian cities to expand its operations. It aims to get more than 100,000 drivers who will serve some two million customers in the next six months across India.

Yaary does not charge commissions from drivers, operating on a model used by Bengaluru-based Namma Yatri. Notably, Namma Yatri has reportedly parted ways with the Bengaluru’s Auto Drivers Union after it started charging a subscription fee from drivers.

“Yaary facilitates peer-to-peer transactions between customers and service providers (auto and taxi drivers) with 0 per cent commission, charging only a nominal SaaS fee to service providers - ten times less than traditional ride-hailing aggregators,” it said in a statement.

The company said it provides drivers with “flexible work schedules, a responsive support system, driver and family insurance, and legal consulting support.”

“The launch of Yaary is a great step in expansion of ONDC Network's footprint to Hyderabad and we welcome a new network participant in this domain to join in driving mobility growth across the nation,” said Koshy T, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of ONDC.

Hari Prasadh, CEO and co-founder of Yaary, said the platform is designed for drivers. “Our mission here is to bring together a diverse set of mobility, travel and transportation players who can engage with the open network on their own terms. For Yaary, Hyderabad is just the beginning as we look to expand our footprint across India,” he said.

Drivers can download the Yaary Partner app from the Google Play Store and complete a verification process that involves their mobile number, registration certificate, and licence. Customers can download Yaary Ride on Android and iOS devices.