This isn’t Careem, but Carrum. Uber has invested $10 million in Carrum, an Indian fleet operator, in a Series B round. This comes as the world’s number one ridesharing company beefs up its reliance upon large fleet management companies to supply cars and drivers in the South Asian country.
Carrum, doing business as Carrum Mobility, is a fleet management company in India. They describe themselves as “transforming India’s mobility landscape.”
They are also a B2B mobility start-up founded in 2024 only by Karan Jain, buying, managing, and supplying electric and CNG vehicle fleets to ridesharing companies like Uber.
A former McKinsey consultant who founded the car-rental startup Revv, Jain started Carrum in 2024 after CarDekho, an Indian automotive marketplace, acquired his earlier company in 2023. CarDekho was also Carrum’s first investor and remains a backer.
The company owns over 5,000 cars across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata, onboarding over 18,000 drivers. The startup stated it is currently generating an annualized revenue of around $45 million.
So, Carrum has always been partnered together with Uber, but this is a time when Uber has invested big in them.
They supply vehicles to Uber India for its entry-level Uber Go, Premier, and the premium Black tiers. Around 70 percent of its fleet are hatchbacks that Uber Go uses, wherein around 10 percent are sedans for Premier, and around 20 percent are SUVs deployed on Uber Black. Carrum is the biggest fleet partner of Uber for Black in India.
This new investment values Carrum at around $168 million post-money, up from a previous post-money valuation at around $63 million, following Uber’s investment of $7 in the company last January. So, Uber now owns a stake in the Indian company.
Under this investment and partnership, operators like Carrum are putting thousands of cars on Uber while recruiting and training drivers.
Furthermore, the relationship of Uber with Carrum goes beyond a typical commercial agreement or arrangement, since the two companies are working on brand-new product launches and planning how much vehicle supply to add to the ridesharing company’s platform.
Several exciting things between Uber and Carrum. Uber is a ridesharing app that connects passengers with nearby drivers through its mobile app. A passenger opens the app, enters a pickup point and destination, then chooses from available ride options. The app shows an estimated fare and arrival time before the booking is confirmed. Once requested, Uber matches the passenger with an available driver, who receives the trip details and travels to the pickup location.
During the ride, the app uses GPS to track the route, estimate arrival time, and provide navigation. Payment is usually handled electronically through a linked card, digital wallet, or supported method, although cash may be available in some markets. After the trip, both the passenger and the driver can rate each other and provide feedback. Uber also charges service fees on trips, while drivers earn based on fares, incentives, and local pricing rules. Safety features may include trip sharing, emergency assistance, and identity checks. For more ridesharing news, keep it locked right here on RSF, the newsroom for ridesharing, coupons, food deliveries, business, lifestyle, and so much more!