Paytm Introduces Auto Rickshaw Booking, May Challenge Ola And Uber

It seems like Paytm has amped its revival efforts through innovative ideas after getting a cease-and-desist notice from RBI.

Paytm is said to be entering the ride-hailing sector against Ola and Uber with its new auto-rickshaw booking feature via its app through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). 

Owned by One 97 Communications Ltd, Paytm was asked to cease its personal banking services in March. The fintech company lost US$1.2bn in market loss per FinTech magazine.

The auto-rickshaw booking feature is powered by Namma Yatri and is currently available in Bengaluru, Chennai, and the National Capital Region.

Software Testing & Integration Phase:

According to a source involved in the development of the feature, each rollout requires a lot of software testing and integration.

The auto-rickshaw booking feature is located in the Shopping section of the Paytm app. A select group of users can see the auto-rickshaw booking banner within the app. Tapping on the banner will direct users to the auto-booking interface, where they can enter their pickup and drop-off locations to book their rides. 

In addition to the auto-rickshaw booking feature, Paytm also offers several other services through ONDC, including food delivery, grocery, fashion, and electronics. In other news, PaiPai, an ONDC app by PAI Platforms, was accidentally listed on the Google Play Store earlier this month but has since been removed.

There is no reason why Paytm will not also get into cab bookings like Ola and Uber as well at a later stage”. Auto-rikshaw booking on Paytm is in the testing phase As per the report, the feature is currently in the testing phase and has gone live only for select Paytm users. 

The Auto-rikshaw booking feature is powered by Namma Yatri to onboard auto-rikshaw drivers on the platform and the services are currently live in Bengaluru, Chennai and the National Capital Region. 

The feature has been placed under the dedicated Shopping section and select users are seeing the auto rikshaw booking banner within the app. Tapping on the banner redirects users to the auto-booking interface where users can enter pickup and drop locations to book their ride. It is also important to note that the entire ONDC platform on Paytm is backed by PAI Platforms earlier known as Paym Commerce which is backed by Paytm founder and chief Vijay Shekhar Sharma. 

Other than the auto rikshaw booking, Paytm also facilitates several other services via ONDC, including food delivery, grocery, fashion and electronics. 

ONDC features on the Paytm app are operated by PAI Platforms, backed by Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Multiple unicorns have bet on ONDC to break the stranglehold of players like Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato and Swiggy. ONDC's monthly retail purchases have grown six times in the last six months to hit 3.6 million in March.