OLA/UBER: UNDERSTANDING OF UNREGULATED BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY

Today there are online taxi services which in modest terms have brought a revolution in the industry all across the globe. Most prominent from Indian stand point are Ola and Uber. Both of these taxi services are market leaders in the country. The way in which people in this country especially the middle class commute daily has drastically changed. Both of these competitors have shown aggression in expanding their operations and multiplying their customer base in India, applying their Blue Ocean Strategy. However against this backdrop what happens to the conventional modes of transport which were used earlier by people (like auto rickshaws)? This is the question the article has a goal to answer with a case study in the city of Pune. To understand the dynamics of the cab market in Pune, impact Ola and Uber have had on conventional businesses and infer whether the auto rickshaws will be able be survive in a competitive market or they have to integrate themselves with the cab services are the core questions to be answered by the study. This article also intends to determine the reasons for the agitations by different groups against the cab service providers (Ola/Uber). The study conducted to come to any kind of conclusion needs to be done from both sides of the aisle (i.e. from customer as well as the driver's perspective).