Ola ropes in former Indian Ambassador as Senior Advisor for Corporate and International Affairs
Gautam Bambawale will play a key role in advising Ola on its Corporate Affairs initiatives across India and the global markets in which it operates.
Indian ride-hailing unicorn Ola recently announced that it has roped in Gautam Bambawale as Senior Advisor for Corporate and International Affairs.
Strengthening its advisory board, the company said that Gautam will play a key role in advising Ola on its Corporate Affairs initiatives across India and the global markets in which it operates.
Gautam Bambawale has served as India's Ambassador to Bhutan and China as well as the High Commissioner of India to Pakistan between 2016 and 2017. He has also held several positions where he was directly involved with advancing India’s relations with Japan, China, and South Korea, amongst other Asian countries.
Speaking on his appointment, Gautam Bambawale said,
"Ola has driven transformational growth for India’s mobility ecosystem and created deep social and economic impact in its journey of just under a decade. I am excited to join Bhavish and the Ola team in this journey of becoming an institution that is globally respected and is a hallmark of collaboration.”
Ola started its international expansion spree in January of 2018 by expanding operations in Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Earlier this month, the startup launched its services in London, with over 25,000 drivers registered on its platform.
“I am very excited to welcome Gautam as a Senior Advisor to Ola. His experience in international relations and diplomacy from his three decades of service to the nation will play an invaluable role in Ola’s next phase of growth across global markets," added Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, Ola.
At present, the Indian cab-hailing giant competes with Uber in international geographies of New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. It is present in more than 250 cities, catering to hundreds of millions of consumers and over two million driver-partners.
In May 2019, Ola had reportedly invested $60 million to fuel its international operations over a course of 15 months. Further, the Indian unicorn has raked in more than $3 billion in funding to date.
(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)
