Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal tweeted about the debut of Ola Maps for developers on July 8, 2024. This was a big change for Ola Cabs, which had been using Google Maps up until that point. This announcement, which received a lot of attention on social media, came soon after Aggarwal decided to stop using Microsoft’s Azure cloud solution. With this audacious step, Ola Maps sought to make a name for itself in the cutthroat world of digital mapping, which is now dominated by MapmyIndia and Google Maps.
Aggarwal’s Vision for Ola Maps
Aggarwal is obviously ambitious for Ola Maps. After Ola, Ola Electric, and Krutrim, he wants to build another unicorn, thus he plans to split it out as a distinct company. His faith in Ola Maps’ ability to upend the digital mapping industry and establish itself as a major player is demonstrated by this aim.
For Ola Maps, though, the road hasn’t been easy. Ola was accused of data theft and reverse engineering MapmyIndia APIs by MapmyIndia in a legal notice that it received shortly after the launch. Aggarwal pointed out the competitive nature of the digital mapping industry and rejected these claims as opportunistic.
Developing a Competitive Product
The market titans like Google, Apple, and MapmyIndia have decades of experience, while Ola has just been working on Ola Maps for over three years. Despite this, Aggarwal is certain that Ola Maps can compete successfully by utilising artificial intelligence to speed up growth.
Aggarwal stated that Google slashed rates for some essential APIs by as much as 70% after the launch of Ola Maps. Developers utilising the Google Maps API did, however, clarify that the price cut was prearranged and publicised months earlier. This demonstrates the intricate dynamics present in the field of digital mapping.
Market Landscape
The market for location intelligence and digital mapping services is huge and includes telematics, navigational aids, and digital map services for both commercial and residential use. The two leading participants in the industry are Google Maps and MapmyIndia, although there are other noteworthy companies like Apple Maps, HERE Technologies, TomTom, MapBox, and OpenStreetMaps as well.
There is a lot of possibility in the field of digital mapping. For example, MapmyIndia increased its operational revenue from INR 200 Cr in FY22 to INR 379.4 Cr in FY24, almost doubling it in only two fiscal years. Although Google Maps’ exact revenue estimates in India are unknown, it is well known that a number of major service providers, like Uber India, Swiggy, and Zomato, rely heavily on the platform and greatly increase its revenue.
Ola Maps: Strategy and Differentiation
Ola Maps needs to set itself apart from its well-established rivals in order to be successful. Aggarwal is reportedly thinking about splitting off Ola Maps into a distinct company in order to provide developers and entrepreneurs with an API-based solution. With this change, Ola Maps would be able to develop and attract a substantial customer base outside of the Ola network.
Ola Maps was created when the Pune-based business GeoSpoc was acquired in 2021. Ola Maps is a subsidiary of ANI Technologies, the business that owns Ola Cabs, in contrast to earlier Ola initiatives like Ola Krutrim and Ola Electric, which functioned independently. There have been rumours regarding Ola Maps’s possible spin-off and future as a stand-alone company as a result of this combination.
The Challenges Ahead
Building a mapping platform that is competitive is a huge undertaking. The infrastructure difficulty of creating and maintaining accurate maps for a vast and diverse nation like India was highlighted by MapmyIndia CEO Rohan Verma. Creating a strong base of precise maps based on actual conditions on the ground is just the first step. It is an even greater laborious endeavour to update and maintain these maps as landscapes change.
Initially featured in Ola’s taxis and EVs, Ola Maps is currently accessible to developers. To create its mapping platform, the company used information from government sources, Open Street Maps data obtained through a license agreement, and sensors installed in Ola Cabs and other data operations fleets. After processing, a collection of B2B APIs and SDKs are produced.
The Role of AI in Ola Maps
The development of Ola Maps is heavily reliant on AI. Natural language processing is used by the platform for automated map updates, dynamic routing algorithms, real-time traffic prediction, and contextual searches. Ola Electric’s chief technology and product officer, Suvonil Chatterjee, claims that Ola Maps’ AI foundation allows the company to offer cutting-edge mapping solutions.
Learning from Industry Leaders
Ola Maps can learn a lot from Apple Maps’ experience. When Apple Maps was first released in 2012, users were critical of the app’s poor accuracy and mislabeled data. Apple has made large investments in enhancing its mapping service over time, finally emerging as a strong rival to Google Maps. This voyage emphasises the value of perseverance and ongoing development in the mapping sector.
Ola Maps needs to provide user-friendly features that can draw in a large user base and B2B clients in order to compete with Google Maps and MapmyIndia. Having features like pothole alerts, speed limit indications, and 3D junction views—all of which MapmyIndia provides—can be crucial to obtaining a competitive advantage.
