Ola reaffirms its luxury ride service, introduces BMW after Jaguar

Leading taxi-hailing app Ola today partnered with luxury car maker BMW, which the two companies claimed will go a long way in redefining on-demand luxury mobility in India.

Ola claims it has around half a million drivers on its platform and the service, Ola Lux, is available in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru to begin with, and will shortly commence in Hyderabad. Ola already has tie-ups with luxury car makers Mercedes and Jaguar and also with Mahindra and Tata Motors. Other OEMs like Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Nissan also have such association with aggregators.

BMW India acting president Frank Schloeder said the partnership is not exclusive, but will offer 100 per cent financing from BMW Finance, assured buyback and two-year free insurance maintenance.

Also read : Jaguar for Rs 19 per km – Ola launches luxury category  

Pranay Jivrajka, chief operating officer of Ola, said Ola Lux is already available with around 100 luxury cars from Mercedes, Jaguar and Audi, and it hopes to take the number of super premium cars to 1,000 with the BMW tie-up over the next few years. Asked whether the deal with a low-cost Ola could undermine its brand value, Schloeder replied in the negative.

Where is the question of undermining the brand value in a market that has only 1 per cent market share for luxury cars, while in the West it is 10 per cent and 5 per cent in China. Had we been a large player here, probably it would have been true. Ola Lux is one-of-its-kind luxury car offering category that allows discerning customers to enjoy an unmatched premium experience. Ola customers will now be able to travel in absolute luxury and comfort in a BMW, Schloeder told PTI.

Jivrajka said its premium offering -- Ola Prime and Ola Corporate -- now contribute 1 per cent to its revenue. Through this association, BMW vehicles will be available to Ola fleet operators with an extremely attractive offer. BMW India will also offer a 360solution that takes into account both pre and post sales ownership with maximum support throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. Additionally, BMWFinancial Services India will offer 100% financing for upto 4 years starting at low interest rates.

 The operators will also benefit from Driver Training programs that BMW India will organize. Certified BMW instructors will familiarize drivers with the versatile capabilities, technology, safety systems and features of BMW cars in detail. Apart from the technical details, operators will also benefit from professional advice on how to make day-to-day driving safer. Ola and BMW will additionally explore other areas of joint collaboration to bring unique offerings to Ola’s enterprise customer segment.

 After sales service packages will further reduce the cost of ownership and ensure that their BMW is always at its best. BMW Service Inclusive Plus and BMW Repair Inclusive that are valid for upto 3 years / 100,000 kilometers promise a completely hassle-free ownership experience. The transparent service package and extended warranty cover the cost for maintenance, inspection and wear-and-tear. All service work is carried out by certified technicians using original BMW parts for unmatched quality assurance.

With all the combined benefits, BMW and Ola have presented both the operators and customers with irresistible reasons to become a part of the ‘Lux’ category. Ola will induct the BMW cars into its fleet across three cities (Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru) and the service will later be extended to more locations.

 Ola Lux is available for booking at a minimum fare of Rs. 250 and Rs. 20-22 per/km. The category also allows customers to book the cars on an hourly basis, via its Rentals feature. Features like driver details being displayed upfront, SOS buttons, Auto-Connect Wi-Fi, live tracking and seamless payment using Ola Money will continue to offer a comfortable experience to commuters.