As per a PTI report, Indian ride-hailing service, Ola, is currently in talks with a number of luxury carmakers in India – including the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes – to offer a subscription-based self-driving scheme for luxury cars.
The self-drive service, currently in its pilot phase, is only offered in the company’s home city of Bengaluru, though it is expected to expand to cover other Indian cities.
Ola is reportedly set to invest up to $500 million (about Rs 3,488 crore) into the self-drive service. The report also stated that sources privy to the matter said that the ride-hailing service saw a lot of potential in the luxury self-drive segment and that the scheme would allow users to get access to luxury cars against the payment of a subscription fee.
Ola presently offers rides in luxury cars via the ‘Lux’ category of its ride-hailing services.
In recent months, Ola entered into a partnership with Hyundai and Kia to collaborate on the development of EVs and India-specific models along with the installation of EV charging infrastructure across the country.
The company has also been expanding its operations in international markets with by offering ride-hailing services in more cities across the UK. The company also has operations in Australia and New Zealand.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
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