Ola Builds Its Own Maps to Reduce Costs by Rs 100 Crore Annually
In a move aimed at lowering expenses, ride-hailing major Ola has fully transitioned from Google Maps to developing mapping capabilities in-house. According to Ola Founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, the company was spending around Rs 100 crore each year using Google’s mapping services. By building ‘Ola Maps’, the ride-hailing platform expects to save that entire amount annually.
In a post on the professional network X, Aggarwal revealed that Ola Maps is now powering the location services for its main taxi-booking app. The homegrown mapping platform was developed after Ola’s acquisition of GeoSpoc, a Pune-based geospatial startup, in 2021. Going forward, Ola plans to incorporate new location-based features into Maps like street views, 3D imagery, indoor venue layouts and aerial scans using drones. The updated maps will also be integrated into Ola’s forthcoming electric scooters through future software updates.
Previously, Ola had partnered with Microsoft Azure for cloud infrastructure but exited those agreements last month, citing privacy issues. It is now fully utilizing its own cloud platform called Krutrim. Aggarwal emphasized the need to establish Indian alternatives for technologies traditionally controlled by large global corporations. Unless domestic options are created, India will not be able to leverage data and tech progress for economic and social benefits, he stated.
With Ola Maps, the ride-hailing giantexpects to avoid paying licensing charges to foreign map providers while gaining more autonomy over location services powering its platform. The improved maps should also enhance customer experience over time with richer mapping details. Only continued development will reveal if Ola Maps can emerge as a viable indigenous alternative to Google Maps in India’s rapidly growing online delivery and mobility sectors.
