Ola Cabs Switches to In-House Ola Maps, Saving Costs and Promising New Features

Ride-hailing leader Ola Cabs has made a significant switch, transitioning from Google Maps to its very own Ola Maps platform. This strategic move is expected to generate substantial annual savings of approximately ₹100 crore, as announced by Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO of Ola Cabs. Aggarwal took to social media platform X to share the news, highlighting the development following Ola’s recent departure from Microsoft’s Azure cloud services.

“We’ve effectively finished the get away from Google Guides, following our exit from Sky blue a month ago. This change to our in-house Ola Guides kills our past yearly cost of ₹100 crore. Make a point to refresh your Ola application if necessary!” Aggarwal proclaimed in his web-based post.

Enhanced Navigation on the Horizon

Aggarwal also unveiled exciting plans for Ola Maps, hinting at upcoming features like street view, advanced 3D mapping with neural radiance fields (NERFs), high-resolution indoor images, and even drone-powered mapping capabilities. These advancements promise a significantly enhanced user experience in the coming months.

Building Self-Reliance: The Krutrim Connection

Ola Cabs’ move to Ola Maps aligns with the company’s broader strategy toward self-reliance. The decision comes after Ola’s complete transition to Krutrim, its in-house AI platform, within a three-month timeframe. This shift signifies a complete severing of ties with Microsoft’s Azure cloud services. Notably, Ola had previously expressed its intention to leverage Krutrim AI for both cloud services and mapping solutions during its launch phase.

GeoSpoc Acquisition Strengthens Mapping Capabilities

Ola effectively reinforced its planning mastery in October 2021 through the essential securing of GeoSpoc, a Pune-based organization work in geospatial administrations. This securing has been instrumental in engaging Ola Guides to actually take care of the planning necessities of the organization’s center ride-hailing application. Moreover, Ola expects to coordinate Ola Guides into its electric bikes through a product update booked for January.

Electric Vehicle Push: Solid-State Batteries on the Horizon

On the electric vehicle front, Ola Electric, an auxiliary of Ola Taxis, is effectively taken part in primer exploration endeavors on strong state batteries for its bike contributions. Aggarwal conveyed idealism in regards to the combination of these high level batteries, to be fabricated at Ola’s new gigafactory in Tamil Nadu, possibly by the following year. This drive adjusts impeccably with the Indian government’s push for nearby battery creation under its impetus conspire.

“We’re still in the beginning phases of exploring different avenues regarding strong state batteries,” remarked Aggarwal.