 "Ola to extend its customer base with 'Ola Lux'")
Bengaluru-based taxi aggregator Ola has been on an overdrive after launch of the uber-cool luxury cars feature 'Ola Lux' that intends to extend its customer base with category of cabs such as Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, Toyota Camry, Fortuner and BMW.
In a bid to maintain its lead over US rival Uber, the cab aggregator launched its services in Bangalore, Mumbai and also in the national capital of Delhi with minimum fare of Rs 200 and then the customers would be charged at the rate of Rs 19/km.
"In line with our mission of building mobility for a billion Indians, Ola is making available a wide range of mobility use cases, right from affordable Ola Micro to premium experience-driven Ola Prime and its latest luxury offering — Ola Lux," Senior Director Marketing Communications at Ola, Anand Subramanian, told ANI.
"This offering focuses on upwardly mobile and high end customers who are looking for exceptional and novel experiences; and appreciate first class quality and products," added Subramanian elaborating on constant innovation to fulfill mobility needs across the board for users.
He added that Ola Lux looks at tapping working professionals, entrepreneurs, socialites, businessmen and others who are globe trotters and have grown appreciating finer things in life, and Ola Lux is the answer for luxury and first-class experience.
"Mumbai is the hub of lifestyle, fashion and films; and hence we have a lot of high-end customers who value superior comfort. Delhi is home to a lot of socialites, businessmen, top industrialists, young professionals, entrepreneurs, etc. who demand such luxurious offerings. Bangalore too was chosen for similar reasons. Whenever we plan to roll out a new product, it's crucial to understand the needs, usage patterns and behavior of the customers; this in turn helps us in understanding the market potential of a product," added Subramanian.
Many experts are of the view that Ola has changed its strategy from focusing on a horizontal expansion model, which will help it reach its mission to reduce car ownership.
Following market research pattern of the same order, Subramanian said that Ola creates a lot of rich data owing to the millions of booking requests received on its Ola platform every single day. This helps the company in understanding the city-specific demands.
"We combine this data with a lot of market research. In addition to this, factors like high ownership costs, maintenance issues, heavy traffic and lack of parking spaces have also played a major role in growth of on-demand transportation options," he added.
Today, well-earning professionals like the flexibility of not having to drive in heavy traffic or having to park, while still travelling in a stylish luxury ride made available within minutes via the Ola app on their own smartphone.
Drivers under this category prefer to attach themselves to the Ola platform for a greater and consistent customer reach.
Many luxury car providers are constrained by high tariffs, seasonal customer demand and limited customers reach.
With Ola, these operators can reach out to a larger and ever increasing pool of customers and can optimize their vehicle usage.
Moreover, the operators can get flexibility of working hours and a consistent flow of income under this platform, and the benefits they could incur by associating themselves with a platform like Ola.
