French Carpooling app BlaBlaCar to open 1st office in India in Gurugram ahead of expansion

Driving from Mumbai to Pune or Delhi to Japiur isn't just lonely for individual drivers, but it also involves fuel costs. But what if the excess space in a vehicle can be used to cover the expenses on fuel, and help the motorist make money on top of it.

That's what more Indians will be able to do after the French carpooling app BlaBlaCar's expansion to transform the country's mobility landscape.

How are its services different?

• Unlike Ola or Uber drivers, motorists don't have to take rides regularly, instead they can use private vehicles to register on BlaBlaCar.

• Once verification is completed, these motorists can offer seats in their car to other users whenever they are traveling within or outside the city.

• Although the firm has been in India since 2015, it hasn't set up an office in the country so far, and is hoping to set up a headquarter in Gurugram.

Already has a footprint in India

• Although the French startup isn't as visible as Uber and Ola, it has amassed four million active users in India as of 2022.

• Before scaling up investments, BlaBlaCar is trying to identify more corridors such as Mumbai-Pune and New Delhi-Chandigarh, where there's demand for intercity carpooling.

• It also isn't competing with Ola and Uber, since BlaBlaCar doesn't have professional drivers and isn't focusing on shorter journeys.

• Instead, it is a non-professional, no-frills service that car owners can use once in a while.