Shifting Gears

Uber’s India and South Asia head Pradeep Parameswaran says the company is going beyond just being a car-hailing service in India and considers itself a complete transportation platform.

- Deepti Chaudhary

It isn’t an easy time to be with a cab-hailing company. Competition is fierce and disgruntled drivers are often on strike. But Uber’s India and South Asia head, Pradeep Parameswaran, is unfazed. The 44-year-old moved to the top job in June when the San Francisco-based Uber Technologies was reported to be increasing investments in its India unit to wrest market share from local rival Ola. Five months on, Parameswaran says making available an affordable and reliable service to a larger population will be key to Uber’s plans. The company has over 300,000 active drivers doing over 10 million weekly trips in India, which he says is high on the company’s priority list. Uber India is no longer satisfied with being just a car-hailing service. It sees itself as an end-to-end transportation company. In an exclusive interview to Fortune India, Parameswaran reveals how he will navigate the world’s largest cab-hailing firm in that direction. Edited excerpts:

How has your journey been since you took over as India and South Asia head of Uber? What’s keeping you excited?