ITV

Tag: Uber

  • Uber wants every opportunity to be ‘Within Her Reach’

    Uber wants every opportunity to be ‘Within Her Reach’

    NEW DELHI: Uber India and Dentsu Webchutney have launched a new campaign to double down on their commitment to make every opportunity #WithinHerReach – a conversation that Uber started last year in collaboration with the agency.

    It is based on the insight that the lack of remote-working options and rigid working hours have kept women away from the workforce. But the new normal offered a new concept as Work(ing)-From-Home began to function as the only option – at least for a long while. Suddenly, second careers began to work for women, as did night shifts and jobs anywhere from around the world.

    The campaign has been launched on the back of a print ad in an English daily and has already sparked conversation on the subject across LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

    Dentsu Webchutney vice president Priyanka Borah said that with WFH and remote-working opportunities, fewer women will feel compelled to drop out of the workforce. “And as a result of this, more women will grow into senior leadership roles. It’s taken a pandemic for us to get here – but it’s important we seize this silver lining to move forward,” she noted.

    Uber marketing director APAC Sanjay Gupta added, “2020 has been a year to forget but it did have one silver lining. More Indian women entered the workforce during the pandemic-induced lockdown, attracted by the possibilities of working remotely and on flexible hours. As we enter the new normal, let's continue to fuel this momentum and make flexible work and WFH essential elements of corporate India.”

  • ‘Safer For Each Other 2.0’: Uber reassures riders of safety

    ‘Safer For Each Other 2.0’: Uber reassures riders of safety

    NEW DELHI: Uber has launched the second-leg of its marketing campaign, ‘Safer For Each Other 2.0,’ to reassure riders of various precautionary measures it is undertaking for rider and driver safety, including in-car partitions and frequent disinfection of vehicles.

    Uber has already installed safety screens in 81,000 autos across more than 20 cities and in 42,000 cars across seven cities. These high quality safety partitions are being installed just behind the driver’s seat and will act as an additional physical barrier between drivers and riders, facilitating social distancing while on a trip and help restrict contact. 

    Through ‘Safer For Each Other 2.0,’ Uber aims to make its partitions a tangible marker of safety in autos and cars. By sitting on the opposite sides of the safety screen, both riders and drivers are helping keep themselves #SaferForEachOther. The 360-degree campaign amplification plan will leverage print, radio, digital, social media, and other channels to ensure widespread awareness about Uber’s safety standards. 

    Uber marketing director, India SA & APAC rides brand marketing Sanjay Gupta, said, “At Uber, we are constantly defining transportation safety standards. The campaign salutes the human spirit & ability to move forward amidst crisis. As a brand that is reimagining how people move forward safely, the campaign highlights the importance of safety screens in maintaining physical distancing, while keeping riders & drivers connected on the common goal of keeping each other safer.”

    Over the past few months, Uber has announced various features and policies to help riders and driver partners feel safer. It has launched a comprehensive set of safety measures such as the pre-trip mask verification selfies for drivers and riders, mandatory driver education around Covid2019 related safety protocols, and an updated cancellation policy. 

  • Iravati Damle joins Zoom to lead public policy in India

    Iravati Damle joins Zoom to lead public policy in India

    MUMBAI: Zoom has hired Iravati Damle as head of public policy in India. In her new role, she will lead policy strategy, government affairs and advocacy for India.

    Damle will be reporting to Jonathan Kallmer, head of global public policy and government relations at Zoom. She will be based out of India.

    Before joining Zoom, Damle worked with Uber for more than three years as public policy manager (Central US) during which she oversaw regulatory and policy strategy and advocacy for the rideshare app in the Midwest.

    “I am thrilled to be at Zoom at a time when the business and the policy environment it operates in are so dynamic, with so much at stake for the productivity of businesses and the happiness of people,” Damle said in a post on LinkedIn.

    Prior to that, she was head of public policy (West India, East India & Bangladesh) at Uber between November 2018-January 2020. She used to look after secured licences or favourable regulations in five Indian states and in Bangladesh, legitimizing and stabilizing Uber’s business through sustained engagement and negotiation.

    She has also worked as a consultant at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. As part of the core team, she contributed in developing research and legislative proposals for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on network neutrality.

    While working with MP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda’s office, Damle designed campaign strategy for general elections in Kendrapara, Odisha in 2014. She also led a team producing legislative proposals on themes such as electoral reform and free speech, introduced in Parliament by the MP.

    Zoom had a meteoric rise following the onset of the Covid2019 pandemic, with the service being adopted across sectors for online classes, meetings and remote hosting. However, the videoconferencing service has had a rough few months thanks to concerns surrounding the privacy of its service. In India, Zoom has been the subject of government advisories advising against its use, and a petition was filed in the Supreme Court accusing it of being a risk to national security.

    Recently, Zoom rolled out a major new security upgrade for users: end-to-end encryption. But the extra protection against hackers won’t be offered by default, meaning users will have to take several steps to turn it on.

  • Uber helps deliver free meals for the hungry in partnership with the Robin Hood Army

    Uber helps deliver free meals for the hungry in partnership with the Robin Hood Army

    Uber today announced it will help deliver free meals for the hungry and those impacted by the Covid pandemic in partnership with the Robin Hood Army, a volunteer-based organization, which fights against hunger.

    As the RHA’s mobility partner, Uber will provide free rides to its volunteers in 10 cities: Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, and Chandigarh, over a 2 month pilot or test phase of their partnership.

    Uber is also supporting RHA’s ongoing #Mission30M project, one of the largest food relief efforts by civic society, with free rides for volunteers. The project, which started 1st July and culminates on 15th August, is being supported by over 60,000 volunteers, who’re attempting to distribute staple food to 30 million people, most affected by the pandemic.

    Speaking about Uber’s efforts to feed the hungry, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We at Uber are committed to reducing urban hunger, a problem that has escalated and impacted millions more across India due to the ongoing pandemic. We’re thrilled to join forces with the Robin Hood Army and be a part of the solution for supporting vulnerable communities in these trying times."

    Neel Ghose, Founder, Robin Hood Army, said, “We are delighted and grateful to partner with Uber once again! Our partnership ensures that our Robins have a safe and easy way to travel and mobilize the food, and focus on the primary act of serving millions of people.”

    Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Uber has launched multiple initiatives to support State governments and communities across the country. The company facilitated  280,000 free trips to the National Health Authority (NHA) and other city and State Governments across the country for transporting thousands of frontline healthcare workers. These rides were part of a larger global commitment made by Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, to donate 10 million free food deliveries and rides to healthcare workers, seniors, and people in need. Please check out our Newsroom post.

  • Uber appoints Prabhjeet Singh as president of India, south Asia

    Uber appoints Prabhjeet Singh as president of India, south Asia

    NEW DELHI: Ride-hailing platform Uber on Thursday said it has elevated Prabhjeet Singh as president of India and south Asia operations. In his new role, Singh will oversee the next phase of growth in the company's mobility business and ensure safety of riders  and drivers across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, a statement said.

    Singh was previously serving as director operations (India and south Asia) and head of cities. "I'm delighted to announce that Prabh is replacing me as Uber's new president for India and south Asia, one of our fastest growing and most strategic markets. Prabh is a passionate and innovative leader and has been instrumental in helping build Uber from the ground up and established our category leadership in the ride-sharing market," Uber regional general manager for Asia Pacific Pradeep Parameswaran said.

    Singh said, “I’m thrilled to have been given the responsibility of leading Uber in India and south Asia, and look forward to collaborating with exceptional teams and gifted colleagues across the Uber family to strengthen our services and product offerings. Uber is an integral part of the fabric of our cities and as they start moving again, we have prioritised the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and service that our riders and drivers expect of us.’’  

    Recently, other key south Asian leaders have also been elevated to wider, regional roles. Former India SA president Pradeep Parameswaran is now the regional general manager APAC.

    Singh, an IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-A alum, joined Uber in August 2015 from McKinsey and Co where he was an associate partner. He will be supported in his new role by a seasoned regional leadership team.

  • Paytm deepens ties with Uber; will process card payments and provide financial services to driver partners

    Paytm deepens ties with Uber; will process card payments and provide financial services to driver partners

    MUMBAI: Paytm, India’s largest payment gateway, has strengthened its partnership with Uber by adding credit & debit processing and will enable users to complete card transactions seamlessly.

    This partnership will allow Uber to leverage the strength of Paytm’s card acquiring capabilities, in addition to the existing wallet integration to provide Riders with the best user experience.

    Paytm’s Payments Bank, India’s biggest and only profitable payments bank, will also provide a range of services to Uber’s driver-partners under the Uber Care program such as savings accounts, zero-fee debit cards and significant cashback at Indian Oil, Paytm FASTags among others. To encourage drivers to conveniently open bank accounts and purchase and use Paytm FASTags, the Bank has set up over 12 camps at Uber’s Greenlight hubs across all major cities including Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad and Guwahati.

    Puneet Jain, Sr. Vice President at Paytm Payments Gateway said, “Uber and Paytm have been long-standing partners. We are extending this partnership to a full-stack payment gateway. This integration will benefit millions of Uber riders to make seamless instant payments from their cards which might be already saved on Paytm."

    Nandini Maheshwari, Director, Business Development, Uber India & South Asia, said, “Paytm is a valued and trusted partner for Uber. Facilitating millions of trips weekly, our priority is always to provide exceptional customer service to our riders and a range of welfare benefits to our driver partners to maximize their earning potential. With the latest credit and debit card integration with Paytm, we hope to promote more digital transactions, reduce cash dependency on the platform and improve the country’s digital financial infrastructure.”      

    Paytm’s payment gateway has been the preferred service provider for India’s digital ecosystem and commands the leading market share. It allows businesses of all sizes to receive payments through different channels including email, SMS, and chat. Paytm’s bouquet of services includes several unique features, such as Payouts & Recurring payments, that address the needs of both B2B and B2C companies.

  • Zomato acquires Uber India’s food delivery business

    Zomato acquires Uber India’s food delivery business

    MUMBAI: Online food delivery app Zomato has acquired Uber’s food delivery business, Uber Eats, in India in an all-stock deal. According to media reports, the acquisition was carried out at a value of $350 million ( Rs 2,485 crore). Moreover, Uber has got almost 10 per cent stake in Zomato.

    Post acquisition, Uber Eats in India will discontinue operations and direct restaurants, delivery partners, and users of the Uber Eats apps will migrate to the Zomato platform, effective Tuesday.

    “We are proud to have pioneered restaurant discovery and to have created a leading food delivery business across more than 500 cities in India. This acquisition significantly strengthens our position in the category,” Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal said.

    “Our Uber Eats team in India has achieved an incredible amount over the last two years, and I couldn’t be prouder of their ingenuity and dedication, ” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said. He added Uber will continue to invest in growing its local rides business.

    Through this deal, Uber Eats India users now become Zomato users. Similarly, the delivery partners who were earlier associated with Uber Eats India will be on-boarded on Zomato’s fleet. The first big consolidation in online food delivery segment will pull Zomato ahead of Swiggy.

    The acquisition comes after Zomato’s latest fundraising led by existing investor Ant Financial, an Alibaba affiliate, which pumped in $150 million at a $3 billion valuation.

  • Uber’s new shared mobility campaign to help improve air quality

    Uber’s new shared mobility campaign to help improve air quality

    New Delhi: Uber, the world’s largest on-demand mobility company, announced the launch of #LeaveYourCarBehind, a campaign to encourage citizens to help improve New Delhi’s air quality by sharing mobility assets and choosing options such as ridesharing and carpooling, instead of the one-person-per-car routine. The campaign goes live on November 4, in tandem with the Delhi government’s ‘odd-even’ initiative.

    Through this campaign, Uber aims to raise awareness about the impact of personally-owned cars on the city’s air quality, and encourages citizens to come together to pave the way for smarter, cleaner and more sustainable cities. The campaign is being supported by associations like URJA (Apex body of Resident Welfare Association), Delhi Clean Air Forum and the Lung Care Foundation.

    Speaking about the campaign, Manisha Lath Gupta – Marketing Director, Uber India & South Asia, said, “At Uber, we strive tirelessly to solve issues of urban mobility that our cities face today. We believe that magic happens when people come together, and it’s only then that we can truly strive for cleaner and smarter cities in the times to come. Through our #LeaveYourCarBehind campaign, we want to encourage residents to choose shared mobility solutions over private modes of transport.”

    With varied mobility offerings such as UberPOOL, Uber Auto, UberMOTO and UberGO, Uber is providing the residents of the National Capital Region a wide range of affordable and reliable transport options to encourage them to leave their cars behind for seamless, affordable, safe and convenient commutes.

  • Ogilvy Bangalore drives UberAuto to Chennai with ‘No haggling, No Hassles’

    Ogilvy Bangalore drives UberAuto to Chennai with ‘No haggling, No Hassles’

    MUMBAI: Ridesharing company Uber has launched its latest campaign ‘No Haggling, No Hassles’, encouraging people to avail UberAuto services in Chennai. The campaign has been conceptualised by Ogilvy Bangalore.

    Ogilvy vice chairman India and chief creative officer South and Southeast Asia Sonal Dabral added, “UberAuto has brought a dramatic change to the way our audience uses auto rickshaws by bringing them never before convenience and peace of mind. It’s therefore fitting that we are introducing this epic service to our audience with an epic story full of humour, drama and suspense. I’m sure that our audience will enjoy this campaign as much as we enjoyed creating it.”

    Uber head of brand – rides, India and South Asia Saakshi Verma Menon commented, “Uber’s vision is to build globally and live locally. UberAuto takes away the daily hassles of hailing an auto by harnessing the power of technology. This campaign aims to connect with our communities, driver-partners and riders in Chennai. Ogilvy South has been a great partner in bringing this creative idea to life in Chennai."

    Ogilvy South president Ram Moorthi said, The flavour of the relationship between an auto rickshaw and it’s rider is a uniquely local one. From Ogilvy’s South office, we’ve used a South Indian flavour to help UberAuto convey its hassle-free message to its customers. Full credit to our client partners for going with our audience understanding while keeping us honest in terms of the Uber brand’s values.”

    The campaign shows the name of the protagonist (witness), ‘Selvam’ echoed around the city dramatically. As unique characters ranging from policemen to politicians scream Selvam’s name in anticipation, we finally see Selvam haggling with a regular rickshaw driver for his ride. As the Voice Over resolves Selvam’s conflict by introducing him to UberAuto, we see him happily arriving at the court much to the relief of everyone. The film ends with the most relieved of them all, the accused who is thankful that his witness has arrived on time.

    As part of the campaign, Uber is also set to release print, outdoor, and radio ads with the same message.