 "Uber")
Dalal, who built the cloud R&D centre for Google in Hyderabad, is mandated to put together a local team to work on solutions for India's unique challenges such as unstable mobile networks and demand for cheaper rides from consumers.
Uber so far has copied rival Ola's cash payment option to consumers which it has taken to Vietnam and Indonesia. It also has masked driver phone numbers to improve safety of commuters.
"Apurva Dalal who recently joined us as the head of engineering at Uber India along with his team of engineers is focussed on building technology to better serve our rider and driver partners in India. The India team will specifically focus on areas of geolocation, big data /real time stream processing, Telematics, mobile apps and infrastructure technologies," said an Uber spokesperson.
The move comes as Uber backed out of China, preferring to merge with rival Didi Chuxing for a minority stake, after admitting to losing money. It instead is increasing focus on India, the last large open market where it is spending a substantial part of the $3.5 billion it raised from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. In the last few months, Uber has stepped up the discounts it offers to customers and incentives to drivers to grab market share.
Uber has around 25 per cent share in India's app-based taxi hailing market compared to rival Ola's two thirds share. While Ola has a lead, it also has lesser cash to burn. Uber on the other hand, which is valued at $68 billion, gets a leeway to burn larger amounts of money for longer periods of time, now that China is off its radar.
"For us to dream of providing transportation which is as reliable as running water for everyone in India, we have reached a point where we have to setup an engineering centre here," Thuan Pham, chief technology officer at Uber, had said during the inauguration of Uber's engineering centre in Bengaluru in May.
"If we all sit in the ivory tower in San Francisco, we cannot imagine how challenging the local conditions are," he added.
Uber had pledged to invest Rs 99 crore to setup its Bengaluru centre which would employ around 200 people. Since then the company has said that it has doubled its headcount at the centre, hiring top class talent from elite tech companies and top tier engineering colleges including IITs and BITs.
