As it happens, both Accel and Prosus are key investors in food and grocery delivery platform Swiggy, which just sold its entire stake in Rapido to avoid any conflict of interest.
Sources said this is a fully a secondary transaction and Rapido will raise a primary round too at a valuation of $2.7-3 billion.
The STA rejected Smart-Ride's application for failing to meet the necessary terms and conditions for operating a bike taxi service.
On August 25, Rapido was the first to resume bike taxi services in Karnataka under 'Bike Direct' after a gap of more than two months.
Prosus is also considering a deal to purchase a part of Swiggy’s stake. If that deal goes through, the total round size may increase, sources told Moneycontrol.
In a letter seen by Moneycontrol, Roppen Transportation, which runs Rapido, has told state transport department it has voluntarily adopted a temporary model limited to lead generation for bike taxis and will not be earning any profit.
The Karnataka High Court on August 22 clarified that it had not passed an order allowing bike-taxi aggregators to operate and that the state was free to act, without harassing bike owners
Bike taxi services were banned in Karnataka since June 16. Moneycontrol on August 21 found that Rapido and Uber were showing bike taxi options and accepting bookings.
The app’s landing page, similar to that of Swiggy, has a purple backdrop. The app focuses on food items that are priced below Rs 150. In fact, most of its north Indian food items, like chapati, rice, eggs and others are all priced below Rs 100.
The zero-commission platform, called Ownly, will be available on the App Store and Play Store this week, offering offline-equivalent prices and a flat delivery fee for restaurants.
In July, Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik directed action against Rapido for operating in Mumbai without permission.
Swiggy looks for a 2.5X return on investment in just over three years. Rapido is being valued at Rs 23,000-26,000 crore ($2.7-$3 billion), a 2.5X jump in valuation in a year’s time, on the back of 120% growth in scale, sources told Moneycontrol.
Swiggy's move comes at a time when its cash reserves are depleting and its losses are widening in an increasingly competitive market.
Swiggy owns a minority stake of nearly 12% in ride hailing platform Rapido.
Swiggy invested in Rapido in 2022 and holds a stake of around 12 percent in the company which translates to around $120 million (about Rs 1,020 crore) at the current valuation of slightly over $1 billion (around Rs 8,500 crore).
The Rapido user recounted several incidents where the driver alarmed her. She initially asked for a helmet, to which he replied there was 'no need to wear it,' noting he himself wasn't wearing one.
While Goyal did not take names, he was likely referring to Rapido’s foray into food delivery. The Swiggy-backed company is set to expand food delivery offerings in Bengaluru and other cities with an aim to disrupt the Zomato and Swiggy duopoly.
Despite the legal requirement, many drivers remain unaware of such coverage, and even those who are aware often lack access to formal policy documents or clear instructions on how to make a claim, say experts.
The expansion of digital ticketing options is part of a broader effort to integrate first, middle and last-mile connectivity within a single ecosystem, officials said
The Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, mandate 80% fare to drivers. From fare caps to stricter driver checks, here’s how MVAG 2025 will reshape the ride-hailing game.
The move is likely to hike the cost of travel at a time when some states are enforcing a strict fuel ban on old vehicles, adding to anxiety over rising cost pressures
Here’s a first-person account by a Moneycontrol correspondent who regularly used bike taxis before the ban came into effect on June 16
The Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, allow states to permit non-transport bikes for shared mobility to ease traffic, cut pollution, support deliveries, offer affordable rides, and boost livelihoods.
Karnataka transport secretary NV Prasad told Moneycontrol that the government has received complaints of fare hikes by app-based autos after the bike-taxi ban and will take strict action.
BMRCL officials say they are integrating more mobility apps through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform to enable seamless end-to-end journey booking