The Maharashtra government has revoked provisional licences issued to motorbike aggregators like Rapido, Ola, and Uber due to non-compliance with the Maharashtra E-bike Taxi Rules 2024, including the mandatory use of electric vehicles and submission of required documents.
A Rapido bike taxi rider was arrested in Kalyan, Thane, for allegedly molesting a 26-year-old woman passenger and stealing Rs 1000 from her. The incident has also raised concerns about unauthorized bike taxi services and violations of transport regulations.
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik faces criticism after Rapido, the bike taxi aggregator he exposed for illegal operations, became the lead sponsor for a 'Dahi Handi' event organized by his family.
Calling the decision a win for the people of Karnataka, a Rapido spokesperson said it was not just a legal victory but a milestone moment for urban mobility in the state.
The incident occurred on Saturday when the woman, who works as a saleswoman at a jewellery shop in Jayanagar, was en route to her workplace, they said.
Rapido - one of the largest players in the bike taxi commute business - says the new guidelines released by the central government on July 1, permitting "non-transport motorcycles" for aggregators, no longer give states the option of rejecting the revised policy.
Two of the three strikes are related to the gig economy, a centrepiece of the new labour Codes.
The union alleges financial hardship due to the state government's authorization of panic button device providers.
Addressing an event after launching the service, Shah said the rival ride-hailing platforms have reduced commission and are offering many other incentives, including free rides to customers, seeing the success of Bharat Taxi during the pilot operation.
Ride-hailing unicorn Rapido is quickly scaling up its four-wheeler segment, which now contributes up to 25 per cent of its total bookings. Aravind Sanka, Rapido's cofounder, in a video interview with Udisha Srivastav/Business Standard, shares insights on the company's plans to expand into the segment, how BluSmart's exit has created an opportunity for the company, its push towards green mobility, and navigating state-specific policies.
'We handle close to 3 million rides daily, making us one of the largest players in this segment'
GSM, which is potentially eyeing a Hong Kong listing and was recently valued at $20 billion, operates on a distinct model -- it owns the e-taxis and employs the drivers, while also supplying cars to independent drivers or fleet operators.
Prosus, the Amsterdam-based technology investor with net assets valued at over $200 billion spanning payments to e-commerce, has identified India as one of its most critical growth markets, and is increasing its strategic investments here.
The Bharat Taxi platform is already positioning itself as the world's largest driver-owned mobility network, with more than 51,000 drivers across cars, autos, and bikes registered in New Delhi and Saurashtra, Gujarat.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating a money-laundering case involving over Rs 331 crore deposited in a bank account linked to an illegal betting app. A bike-taxi driver was found to be unknowingly used as a 'mule' to funnel the illicit funds.
'We serve more than 1.2 billion trips annually and have over 1.5 million active earners each month using the platform.'
Highlighting India as the company's most important growth market, Fabricio Bloisi, group chief executive officer (CEO) of the Dutch technology investor Prosus signaled a sharp acceleration in artificial-intelligence investments across its portfolio in the country.
A 48-year-old cab driver has been arrested in Delhi for allegedly masturbating in front of a young woman during a ride. The woman reported the incident to the police, leading to the driver's arrest and vehicle seizure.
'More and more people from the middle class will become self-employed gig workers mostly working from home, rather than as office workers with salary, promotion, bonuses, etc.'
There's a hint of new competition riding into a sector that has attracted attention for being in a duopoly-like situation. Rapido, a commute app known for its budget-friendly bike-taxi services, on Tuesday announced its entry into the cab market, which is currently dominated by marquee brands Uber and Ola. Rapido's cab foray will be enabled by a software as a service (SaaS)-based platform.
Bike-taxi drivers are also left stranded as many depended on the service.
While mobility aggregators such as Rapido and Uber have welcomed the decision, gig workers associations and unions remain concerned.
RMG firms Dream11, Games24x7, Gameskraft and MPL lost unicorn status after the gaming ban while fintech players led 11 new unicorns added in 2025.
Uber recorded approximately 200 per cent year-on-year growth in its pre-scheduled ride option, Uber Reserve.
Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed the development, stating that the companies must abide by the court's decision.
'Today, we have 2 million active drivers earning through our platform every month.'
Qualcomm has partnered with eyewear brand Lenskart to build glasses using its Snapdragon XR chipsets, which allow for on-device AI processing and spatial computing.
Rising inflation and stagnant wages are forcing a number of salaried professionals to venture into the bike taxi service as part-time riders.
The government on Wednesday asked e-commerce platforms to conduct annual internal audits to make sure that they are not resorting to manipulative tactics to mislead consumers and prevent them from making right choices -- a technique commonly referred to as dark pattern -- and submit reports to the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA). It comes just a week after Uber was issued a notice by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) over its "advance tip" feature.
'Unless we consistently show up with the right cars, at the right time, priced fairly, we risk becoming irrelevant very quickly.'
New-age stocks to buy: Most new-age stocks have turned out to be wealth destroyers in stock markets, so far, in calendar year 2025. Shares of Ola Electric Mobility, for instance, have plunged nearly 50 per cent in the first half of CY 2025, while those of Swiggy, PB Fintech, Paytm, and Eternal (Zomato) have crashed between 6 per cent and 25 per cent, ACE Equity data shows.
Zomato is at 5, Swiggy at 9, Blinkit at 10.
The bench, which stayed the May 26 order of the Delhi HC, also recorded the Delhi government counsel's submission the final policy will be notified before July-end.
Kunal Shah has funded over 266 startups including Razorpay, Snapdeal, Zetwork, BlueSmart, Unacademy, Bliss Club, and Spinny, amongst others.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed Uber to apply for a licence within three weeks to operate in Maharashtra, stressing that cab aggregators cannot function without one. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud said that an earlier interim order by the Supreme Court that had allowed Uber to operate in the state would not provide legal cover, since an aggregator cannot operate without a licence. It ordered Uber to apply for a licence by March 6, said a report by Bar and Bench.
For a segment that thrives on promise more than performance, the country's start-up ecosystem is refusing to get carried away by the funding this calendar year. This has created the highest level of uninvested venture capital in seven years as investors wait for corrections in the working and - more importantly - valuation of start-ups while looking for cockroaches instead of unicorns. "Investors are now keen to invest in companies that have good top and bottom lines.
Two sectors, fintech and media & entertainment, attracted 45 per cent of total funding by value, led by large ticket deals such as CRED and Dailyhunt.
CCPA said the primary issues raised in the notices included 'deficiency in service'. This includes lack of proper response from customer support, driver refusing to take payment by online mode and insisting for cash only.
Both Uber and Rapido have an SOS button installed in the app which are monitored by their teams
Uber Technologies said it is doing a fresh round of recruitment for its India tech centres and is planning to hire 500 more tech employees by December. The app-based mobility and delivery company has a 1,000-member tech team across its centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The firm said the hiring plan is a testament to Uber's commitment to India, and its recognition of the engineering talent in the country. Uber hired 250 engineers to its India teams in 2021.
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