Ola steps up its Australia play to take on Uber, to enter 6 more cities

The Bengaluru company wants to have a presence in nine cities in Australia in the next few months, half as many as Uber is present in today

Indian ride-hailing giant Ola is ramping up its efforts to go after chief rival Uber in Australia, launching its service in Melbourne, its third city in the country, and announcing plans to enter six more cities in the coming months.

Ola's move to expand into Australia is part of its plan to tap developed markets to build a profit base that can help fund some of its losses back home. The move comes at a time when US-based Uber is being forced to consolidate its North American and European businesses.

“We’ve been humbled by the response from customers and driver-partners