Bhavish Aggarwal is the founder of Ola, one of India’s well-known mobility companies. He started Ola with a simple idea of making cab booking easier for people.
Today, Ola has become a bigger business with interests in mobility and electric vehicles. Bhavish’s journey has also moved from online cab booking to building electric scooters and working on new technology.
His story started with a common travel problem. He wanted people to get a cab without having to spend a lot of time looking for one.
Early Life and Education
Bhavish Aggarwal was born on August 28, 1985, in Ludhiana, Punjab.
He was interested in technology from a young age.
He studied at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He completed a degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
While studying, he also worked on technical projects and developed an interest in starting a business.
After completing his studies, he joined Microsoft Research India.
Working at Microsoft
Bhavish worked at Microsoft Research India for around two years.
During this time, he worked on technology-related projects and research.
He also had an opportunity to work on patents and research papers.
However, he wanted to build something of his own.
This desire eventually led him to leave his job and start a company.
Starting Ola
In 2010, Bhavish Aggarwal started Ola along with Ankit Bhati.
The company was first called Ola Cabs.
The idea came from Bhavish’s own experience with transportation.
Before starting Ola, he had also worked on a small online travel business.
He saw that booking a cab could be difficult and that customers often did not know when a cab would arrive.
Ola tried to solve this problem using mobile phones and technology.
How Ola Worked
Ola connected customers with taxi drivers through an online platform.
Customers could use the Ola website and later the mobile app to book a cab.
They could see information about the cab and driver and track the vehicle.
This was a big change from the traditional way of finding a taxi.
Ola also gave drivers a platform to get more customers.
The company started with a small number of cabs and gradually expanded.
Rapid Growth
Ola grew quickly in the Indian market.
The company expanded from a few cities to many parts of the country.
It added different types of services.
Customers could book budget cabs, sedans, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles through the platform.
Ola also introduced different pricing options for different customer needs.
The smartphone boom helped the company grow.
More people started using mobile apps for travel and other daily services.
Competition in the Cab Market
Ola soon became a major player in India’s online cab market.
It faced strong competition from Uber, which entered India in 2013.
Both companies competed for customers and drivers.
They offered discounts and different types of services to attract users.
The competition pushed Ola to expand its services and improve its technology.
Ola Expands to New Markets
Ola did not remain limited to India.
In 2018, Ola started operations in Australia.
It later entered New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The company tried to use its technology and business model in these markets.
International expansion was not easy because every market had different transport rules and customer habits.
Ola eventually decided to focus more strongly on its main markets.
Ola Electric
A major change in Bhavish Aggarwal’s business journey came when he moved into electric vehicles.
In 2017, Ola Electric was started as a separate company.
The company initially worked on electric mobility and charging infrastructure.
Later, it moved toward manufacturing electric scooters.
Ola Electric became one of the major electric two-wheeler companies in India.
Ola Electric Scooter
Ola Electric launched its first electric scooters in 2021.
The scooters were designed and developed for the Indian market.
The company promoted features such as connected technology, digital controls and different riding modes.
The launch attracted a lot of attention.
Electric vehicles were becoming more popular in India as people looked for alternatives to petrol vehicles.
Ola Electric tried to take advantage of this growing market.
Building a Manufacturing Plant
Ola Electric also invested in manufacturing.
The company built a large manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu called the Ola Futurefactory.
The plant was planned to produce electric scooters at a large scale.
The company also announced plans to work on batteries and other electric vehicle technologies.
This showed that Bhavish was looking beyond cab services.
He wanted to build a larger electric mobility business.
Ola Electric IPO
Ola Electric took another major step in 2024 when it became a publicly listed company.
Ola Electric Mobility Limited launched its IPO in August 2024.
The company was listed on the Indian stock exchanges.
The IPO gave Ola Electric access to public markets and increased its visibility among investors.
It also marked a new stage in Bhavish Aggarwal’s journey as an entrepreneur.
Challenges Faced by Bhavish Aggarwal
Bhavish has faced many challenges during his business journey.
The cab business is highly competitive.
Ola had to compete with Uber and also deal with driver concerns, customer complaints and changing regulations.
The company also faced questions around profitability.
The COVID-19 pandemic created another major problem because travel demand fell sharply.
Ola had to make changes to its business during this period.
Ola Electric also faced challenges.
Electric vehicle companies have to deal with manufacturing, battery technology, service networks and customer expectations.
Ola Electric has also faced regulatory and product-related issues over time.
Moving Towards Electric Mobility
Bhavish Aggarwal has increasingly focused on electric vehicles.
He believes electric mobility can become a major part of India’s transportation system.
Ola Electric has worked on scooters, batteries and electric vehicle technology.
The company has also talked about developing electric cars and other products.
The goal is to build more parts of the electric vehicle ecosystem in India.
Bhavish Aggarwal’s Business Style
Bhavish is known for taking bold decisions.
He has often entered markets where competition is already strong.
He started Ola when online cab booking was still new in India.
Later, he moved into electric vehicle manufacturing.
Both businesses required large investments and involved significant competition.
His approach has focused on technology, scale and building products for the Indian market.
Ola and the Indian Startup Industry
Ola became one of the companies that helped popularise app-based cab services in India.
Before companies like Ola, customers usually had to find taxis on the street or call local taxi operators.
Ola made booking more organised.
The company also created earning opportunities for many drivers.
Its growth became part of the larger rise of India’s startup and technology industry.
Bhavish Aggarwal Today
Bhavish Aggarwal continues to be closely associated with Ola Electric.
His focus has shifted from only cab booking to electric mobility and manufacturing.
Ola Electric is working on expanding its electric scooter business and developing more technology.
Bhavish has also spoken about building electric vehicles and battery technology in India.
His business journey is still developing as the electric vehicle market grows.
Conclusion
Bhavish Aggarwal started Ola in 2010 with Ankit Bhati.
The company began with a simple idea of making cab booking easier.
Ola grew quickly and became one of India’s major app-based mobility companies. It later expanded into international markets and different types of transportation services.
Bhavish then moved into electric mobility through Ola Electric.
The company started manufacturing electric scooters and built a large manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. Ola Electric later entered the stock market in 2024.
The journey has included both success and challenges.
From an online cab booking platform to electric scooters and vehicle technology, Bhavish Aggarwal’s business journey has changed with the Indian mobility market.
