Ola launches 'Ola Parcel' in Bengaluru, unveils all-electric logistics ecosystem

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Ridesharing company Ola recently launched its "Ola Parcel" services in Bengaluru, introducing a new way to deliver parcels using the company's electric scooters.

The ride-hailing app hailed this initiative as the beginning of an all-electric logistics ecosystem in India. With the goal of electrifying logistics services in India, Ola Parcel aims to provide an affordable and easily accessible delivery solution for everyone, as stated by the startup in an official statement.

This service will be available throughout the city, offering different price options: Rs 25 for a 5 km delivery, Rs 50 for a 10 km delivery, Rs 75 for a 15 km delivery, and Rs 100 for a 20 km delivery.

In contrast, Swiggy Genie charges start at Rs 60 for the first 2 km of parcel delivery. Ola founder Aggarwal took to X (formerly Twitter) on October 6 to announce the launch.

The post said, “Launching Ola Parcel today in Bengaluru! Start of an all electric 2W logistics ecosystem for India! Rs 25 for 5km, Rs 50 for 10km, Rs 75 for 15 km, Rs 100 for 20km! You can use tonight onwards. Expanding across India very soon!”

As an inauguratory offer, the founder also provided free service for all customers on October 7 and 8. On October 7 he posted, “We will be making it FREE for today and tomorrow. Starting at noon today. Do try!!”

What's Ola's strategy to outperform its competitors?

In a media statement, Ola expressed its belief that electric two-wheelers will disrupt India's logistics ecosystem, asserting that its on-demand delivery service will herald a significant change in the intra-city logistics sector.

The statement highlighted Ola's comprehensive network of services, encompassing ride-hailing, digital commerce, logistics, and electric vehicle manufacturing capabilities, as the key factors uniquely positioning the company to drive this transformation rapidly and extensively.

The statement further conveyed their high confidence in the collaborative efforts of Ola and Ola Electric to revolutionize the two-wheeler logistics landscape in India.

Transitioning to an EV Fleet

Numerous participants in this sector are embracing electric vehicles (EVs). As an example, Uber has joined forces with Zypp Electric to introduce approximately 10,000 electric two-wheelers in Delhi.

In the previous month, Amazon revealed that its India delivery fleet now comprises more than 6,000 EVs.