It’s not India versus Pakistan in either world affairs or the Olympics, but India versus… Uber? It’s like a bout between David and Goliath here, except that Uber isn’t a bad guy, but there’s this young Indian company forcing Uber to change its business model.
That’s Namma Yatri, a three-year-old startup that has been making waves in India’s ride-hailing sector.
Namma Yatri vs. Uber
Namma Yatri was initially an auto-rickshaw aggregator. It is now a customer-friendly app built with a vision to contribute effectively to the Open Mobility Initiative.
“The true strength of an open mobility initiative lies in a collective ecosystem of multiple mobility service providers to coexist on a common standard network. This allows for enhanced choice for customers to avail the benefits of a truly multi-modal offering,” the platform mentioned on its official website.
Also, it says it is a direct-to-driver application that offers no commission to middlemen. Instead, what passengers pay goes 100 percent to the driver and their family, as the platform points out.
The app is currently present in over 15 cities in India, facilitating almost 190,000 cab and rickshaw rides per day. Since its launch, it has also helped almost 700,000 drivers earn a whopping $175 million.
Namma Yatri was the result of a collaboration between several groups: a local drivers’ union, a payments startup, and a non-profit. When the app was developed to consult with a drivers’ union in Bengaluru, it refused to follow the commission-based model, like many other platforms possess, pioneering a subscription-based system wherein drivers pay the platform a nominal fee and get to keep the entire fare charged from passengers.
This unique business model is forcing its rivals, like Rapido and Uber, to modify their business models, too, and offer subscriptions.
Now, Namma Yatri has earned the interest of the Indian government, inspired by its business model inspired. Today, the platform is looking at expanding internationally, even with challenges in the South Asian country.
“Namma Yatri has been quite central to this shift happening all across,” a representative from Namma Yatri stated.
Uber has not yet responded to the comment, as of press time.
Uber’s robotaxis in Europe in 2026
Will Uber be swayed by Namma Yatri? It appears not, and there have been many breakthroughs within Uber lately.
This 2026, Uber is looking at launching robotaxis in Europe, in partnership with China’s Momentum. Robotaxis are operated by automation, so there is minimal human intervention.
“This collaboration brings together Uber’s global ridesharing expertise and Momenta’s AI-first autonomous driving technology, paving the way for a future where more riders around the world experience the benefits of reliable and affordable autonomous mobility,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated in the press release.
Momenta is a leading autonomous driving technology company. According to the media, the two companies will initially introduce in-car safety operators. The Chinese brand is currently utilizing autonomous driverless systems on some roads in China. However, with Uber, Momenta can expand beyond the United States and China, too.
The robotaxis will start in Europe in 2026 and expand worldwide.