Bike-taxis, three-wheeler autos will drive next wave of mobility in India, says Uber India President

Uber India & South Asia President Prabhjeet Singh

Uber is sharpening its focus on two- and three-wheeler mobility, a segment that now forms a major share of its India business, even as bike taxis remain under regulatory scrutiny across several states.

Uber India & South Asia President Prabhjeet Singh said the company sees “massive headroom” for growth in low-cost mobility formats and expects this segment to drive the next wave of adoption on the platform.

The comments come at a time when bike taxis remain sub judice in Karnataka and other states continue to debate regulatory frameworks.

Despite this, Singh said Uber is confident that “common ground” will emerge, adding that two-wheelers remain a strong answer to congestion and first- and last-mile connectivity in cities like Bengaluru.

“India has embraced enabling regulatory environments in the long term,” he said, referring to recent central guidelines on gig work and mobility.

Outlining Uber’s roadmap for the next few years, Singh said the company will focus on three key priorities: diversifying mobility use cases across price points, scaling its two- and three-wheeler offerings, and building technology solutions to improve earnings for drivers.

Uber now sees consumers using multiple modes on the same platform, autos or bikes for short hops and intercity or premium services for longer routes.

While not commenting on specific deals, Singh confirmed that Uber has already onboarded electric vehicles that entered the market after Bluesmart began winding down operations.

“We are committed to scaling EVs in a gradual way,” he said, adding that a large portion of the existing fleet already runs on CNG.

The company now operates 1.5 million monthly active vehicles in India and is preparing for a wider expansion into new cities and new formats, including logistics and shuttles.

Singh confirmed that Uber Shuttle, now running in Delhi and Kolkata, has seen strong uptake and is positioned as a congestion-reducing solution for large metros.

The launch in Bengaluru is ongoing and the company is working on some framework around this.

“There is no existing aggregator framework for shuttle buses in Karnataka,” Singh said, adding that discussions with stakeholders are ongoing. “Hard to put a timeline, but we hope it is sooner than later.”

Meanwhile, Uber is scaling Uber Black, its premium chauffeured service that has seen strong traction from airport users, corporate travellers, and riders seeking higher comfort.

Bengaluru already has a dedicated Uber Black zone at the airport. “We’ll continue to add more vehicles and deepen the network within the city,” Singh said.

On competition, Singh said India remains a vibrant and expanding market where new entrants like Namma Yatri, Bharat Taxi, and ONDC-enabled services are increasing choice for both consumers and drivers.

Former rival Ola’s reduced activity has opened room for others. However, Singh said Uber focuses on “being competition-aware, not competition-obsessed”, emphasising the company’s edge in local innovation, from intercity to autos, from shuttles to ONDC-linked logistics.

Uber recently entered B2B logistics with Uber Direct, plugging its existing two-wheeler network into ONDC’s merchant ecosystem for deliveries. Singh said the business has a viable unit structure because Uber does not need incremental supply or demand creation.

“In India, the opportunity is still at a very nascent stage,” Singh said. “We are long on India, and very bullish on the ecosystem.”