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Why Olaโ€™s Path To Green Mobility Is Full Of Twists And Turns

Inc42Inc42 ยท 1y ago
Why Olaโ€™s Path To Green Mobility Is Full Of Twists And Turns
Medial

Ola Cabs, a major ride-hailing company in India, has been slow to make progress in transitioning to electric mobility and has faced increased competition in the EV segment. While Ola Electric, a subsidiary of Ola Cabs, was established in 2017, the company has yet to achieve any significant milestones in its quest for an electric fleet. In contrast, competitors like Uber India and other emerging players such as BluSmart and Evera Cabs have already deployed thousands of electric vehicles. Ola's past initiatives, such as "Mission: Electric," have not come to fruition, and the company's current CEO, Hemant Bakshi, has offered limited clarity on its green mobility plans. Nevertheless, Ola aims to expand its electric vehicle offerings beyond two-wheelers to include three-wheelers, cars, and e-buses. However, Ola Electric's timeline for new products may not align with Ola Cabs' ambitions. Ola Electric plans to launch electric auto-rickshaws in the coming months, which could be integrated into Ola Cabs' fleet. The company also intends to enter the electric car market eventually but may need to partner with fleet operators and other original equipment manufacturers in the meantime. Ola's focus on scaling up its electric two-wheeler ride-hailing vertical is driven by the belief that state governments are more likely to favor two-wheelers over traditional internal combustion engines. However, Ola faces competition from established players such as Yulu and Rapido, as well as Uber's emphasis on Uber Moto. Ola still has to overcome challenges such as unit economics and profitability while catching up with existing rivals.

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Ola ride-hailing biz falls 11% in FY24, turns EBITDA profitable

EntrackrEntrackr ยท 4m ago
Ola ride-hailing biz falls 11% in FY24, turns EBITDA profitable
Medial

Ola recorded a 5.5% year-on-year decline in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2024, indicating no growth during the period. Despite the revenue drop, the firm managed to turn EBITDA profitable, driven by cost reductions in employee benefits and communication costs. Olaโ€™s revenue from operations declined 5.5% to Rs 2,012 crore in FY24 from Rs 2,128 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) show. Income from Ola's ride-hailing business contributed 87.5% of the total operating revenue in FY24, but it decreased by 11.3% to Rs 1,761 crore, down from Rs 1,985 crore in FY23. Ola's financial services business recorded a 3.6X growth in FY24, with revenue increasing to Rs 227 crore from Rs 63 crore in FY23. This segment focuses on selling insurance policies and providing financing services for vehicle purchases, primarily for Ola Electric. The company also added Rs 192 crore mainly from the interest on deposits which brought its overall income to Rs 2,204 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 2,277 crore in FY23. For Ola's ride-hailing business, transportation costs made up 28.8% of total expenses. Due to reduced mobility, these costs dropped by 15.2% to Rs 607 crore in FY24. Its employee benefit expenses shrank 42% to Rs 334 crore, while telephone and postage costs fell by 28% to Rs 280 crore. Surprisingly, its spending grew 2.6X to Rs 107 crore in FY24. Its legal, rent, and other overheads took the overall cost to Rs 2,107 crore in FY24 from Rs 2,517 crore in FY23. Note: We have excluded the cost of allowance for impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets in the calculation of losses which stood at Rs 319 crore and 149 crore in FY24 and FY23, respectively, due to its non-cash in nature. Despite the decline in its ride-hailing business, Ola effectively controlled its costs, resulting in a loss of Rs 10 crore in FY24, compared to a Rs 623 crore loss in FY23. Notably, the firm becomes EBITDA profitable during the previous fiscal year. On a unit level, the company spent Re 0.89 to earn a rupee of operating revenue during the fiscal year. In August 2024, Bhavish Aggarwal announced that Ola Cabs would be rebranded as Ola Consumer, bringing together its financial services, cloud kitchens, and electric logistics under one platform. The company is also moving closer to its initial public offering (IPO). According to sources, Olaโ€™s parent company, ANI Technologies Private Limited, has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) for November 14, 2024, to discuss matters related to the IPO. However, Ola hasnโ€™t provided an official comment on the timeline for its public listing. In August 2024, Aggarwal announced that Ola Cabs would be rebranded as Ola Consumer, integrating financial services, cloud kitchens, and electric logistics under one umbrella. The company has also faced valuation markdowns by its investors in recent years. In August 2024, Vanguard adjusted Olaโ€™s valuation to approximately $2 billion. Earlier, the investment advisor had reduced the valuation to $1.88 billion as of November 30, 2023. This marks a significant decline from 2021, when Ola was valued at $7.3 billion.

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