Uber sees green shoots of recovery in Delhi: National Capital among its top 10 global markets

Delhi is one of the top 10 global markets for ride-hailing app Uber which recently released September data for ridership. While the coronavirus cases are on a continuous rise globally, people have started to venture out in Delhi, which is the only Indian city to make it to Uber’s global list. “Delhi is the only Indian city to have made it to the top 10, highlighting its strategic importance in Uber’s global portfolio, with residents taking more than 1 million rides each week,” the company said in a statement on Monday. Cars remain the most preferred mode to travel, the company added.

Other than cars, people also took budget friendly means such as auto and moto to travel. Among other changes witnessed by the company, Uber said that there has been an increase in longer distance trips, with the busiest hours weekly being 8 AM to 10 AM. “Not only do Delhiites kick-start their week with an Uber ride, they also end it with one as Mondays and Fridays are the busiest days of the week for drivers,” it said. Ride aggregators worldwide had witnessed a slump in their business with the coronavirus pandemic hitting the globe. Companies such as Uber had also laid off employees due to decline in business operations. In fact, Uber had let go off thousands of employees in India alone, in a trend which was witnessed for many other startup companies as well. 

India is one of the key markets for Uber with its population second only to China. The September figure for ridership “underscores India’s important role as a contributor to Uber’s business growth. As people start travelling again, we are seeing green shoots of recovery in the capital which further underscores the promising potential of Delhi and India,” Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said. The company had also recently reported a recovery in its popular and affordable Uber Auto service.