'We are the largest intercity player already': Prabhjeet Singh as Uber launches bus ticketing in India

Mobility giant Uber on March 6 announced the launch of intercity bus ticketing on its app, with India becoming the first market globally to roll out the product. The new offering expands Uber’s intercity portfolio, enabling riders to plan and book long-distance bus journeys in addition to cabs.

The launch has been rolled out in partnership with AbhiBus, the bus ticketing platform owned by Ixigo, marking Uber’s first supply integration for the service. The announcement was made by Praveen Neppalli Naga, Chief Technology Officer at Uber, and Prabhjeet Singh, President India and South Asia.

Speaking to Business Today, Singh said the company already has a strong position in the intercity segment. “we are the largest player (intercity) already by multiples from the second player.” [now] It's about how do we expand the digital pie over here.”

According to Uber India, the intercity passenger travel industry stands at about $13 billion. Singh noted that it represents a significant opportunity for digital platforms.

“It is an addressable market, which is as large, if not larger than the whole intercity category, but far less organized, far more fragmented and we want to make sure we are out there building a new business and continue to scale that.”

Uber’s broader ambition, Singh indicated, is to evolve into a single platform [a super app] serving multiple mobility needs.

“We have today four wheelers, three wheelers, two wheelers, employee transportation services, metro tickets, intercity routes on cars and today intercity buses, which is reflecting our desire to be able to be one place where you can serve all your mobility needs from point A to point B. India's market is incredibly diverse and that's what makes it exciting to bring these services here. And the second big reason to do this is we are very bullish on the entire intercity ecosystem.”

Speaking at the launch, Naga said, “India is one of Uber’s most important innovation hubs globally. Teams here are building technologies that power Uber’s next phase of growth worldwide. The launch of Intercity Bus ticketing reflects how products incubated in India are shaping our global roadmap, while expanding choice for riders through a trusted, reliable Uber experience.”

Singh also highlighted that intercity travel in India is at an inflection point.

“With a significantly upgraded highways network and better road connectivity across the country, long-distance road travel has become more accessible than ever before. This creates a massive opportunity to reimagine how people plan and experience intercity journeys, and we see strong momentum for digital, trusted platforms to play a much bigger role.”

Uber’s intercity car product currently connects more than 3,000 city-to-city routes across the country, expanding access between metros and smaller cities. With the intercity bus service, Singh said the offering is available across routes where Ixigo operates.