If you have to book an Ola cab, you no longer need to have the Ola app.
The cab aggregator has opened up its Application Programming Interface (API) to other apps such as Makemytrip, InMobi, Helpchat, Oyo rooms and others. An API is a kind of technology that helps applications to talk to each other.
With this opening up, the company intends to reach out to a wider user base. "With this, we would open up access to millions of users across cities, said Ankit Bhati, CTO and co founder of Ola. The cab aggregator has set an ambitious target of reaching 100 million users in the next two years with initiatives like this. While Ola does not disclose the total number of users at present, around 750,000 rides happen on its network.
So, a user who has an app of MakeMyTrip will be directed to an Ola-like app. If the person is using a Helpchat app, an automatic notification will come to them regarding cab availability, estimated time of arrival, amongst others. The payment options will however be done by Ola, company executives said.