Andhra Pradesh Govt signs MoU with Ola to boost transportation services

With the newly formed capital of the state - Amaravati, the state has embarked upon a renewed vision for growth and development across industries and sectors. Growth of tourism will play an important role in this, and the Tourism department has undertaken various initiatives to develop Andhra Pradesh as one of India’s leading tourist destinations.

Additionally, Ola will also create 25,000 job opportunities in the state, encouraging entrepreneurship and sustainable income for the youth over next 5 years. With this opportunity to serve millions, Ola’s focus on such initiatives, in tandem with the state, will only grow in the coming months. Ola will provide a wider reach and a better experience to millions of tourists and residents by launching into new cities from existing 6 in next 5 years, providing unique mobility solutions.

The agreement was signed and the first batch of exclusively co-branded Ola and Andhra Pradesh Tourism cars were flagged-off by state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Secretary – Tourism Mukesh Kumar Meena, CEO-APTA & MD-APTDC Himanshu Shukla. I.A.S, along with Pranay Jivrajka, Founding Partner, Ola, at the MoU signing ceremony in Amaravati.

In the coming months, this partnership would also be extended further, bringing additional set of offerings such as electric vehicles, bikes, and Buses in the state based on feasibility and regulatory constraints.

Speaking on the occasion, Chandrababu Naidu stated, “Our vision is to make Andhra Pradesh, a model state not just for India but for audiences globally. For this, we are betting heavily on technology-based models across sectors. Partnering with companies such as Ola, that has added a new dimension to transportation in India, is in keeping with this vision. Together, we will be able to provide a reliable commute service to tourists and residents, as well as create job and entrepreneurial opportunities for several thousands."

Commenting on the partnership, Mukesh Kumar Meena said, “Andhra Pradesh has a rich cultural, religious, and historical background. Streamlining transportation and launching a unique offering for tourists and residents will be of significant benefit. The partnership with India’s most popular platform for ridesharing will also help us train thousands of driver partners become entrepreneurs and play a role in enhancing customer experience."

Speaking about the partnership, Pranay Jivrajka said, “We are certain that Andhra Pradesh is soon going to become the benchmark for inclusive growth and development in India. We applaud their commitment to implementing technology-backed solutions across industries and are proud to play a key role and support their tourism initiatives to promote the growth of the sector in the state. Ola’s mobility offerings such as Outstation and Rental solve a very unique problem for tourists and local residents – the need for a reliable and safe commute option to travel for long durations and between cities. Specially curated tourism packages coupled with trained driver partners is sure to provide a valuable service to customers and contribute to the growth of tourism in the state.”

Commenting on the partnership, Sri Himanshu Shukla, CEO-APTA and MD-APTDC said, “This partnership will help both;boosting tourism in the state of Andhra Pradesh and also creating employment opportunities in a short period of time. We shall extend our full support to ensure smooth implementation of this partnership and also to bring more offerings under the umbrella. Ola’s commitment to offering locally-relevant mobility solutions will help us in achieving our aspirations of creating large scale employment and also provide a refined experiences to the tourists."

Additionally, as a part of this partnership, under the ‘Rental’ offering which provides convenient rides based on hourly rates to customers, Ola will create fixed fare packages for key routes in Vijayawada city such as from the airport, the Secretariat, the railway station, and Stalin Corp, among others. Customers will also, have the option to book cabs from Ola kiosks set up at various key locations in the cities mentioned above, for added convenience.