A CNBC article titled Can Uber win in India after China loss quotes Venture Intelligence data on funding in the taxi space:
Ola, one of the most celebrated start-up stories in India can afford this cracking expansion because it is flush with funds, including $1.2 billion from investors over the past four years, according to Venture Intelligence.
Venture capitalists funding to Indian start-ups is down about 30 percent so far this year compared to last year, according to industry estimates. Total funding, for example, in the taxi booking space till mid-November 2016 was just $1 million, compared to over $1 billion in 2015, according to Venture Intelligence.
After selling to Didi Chuxing in China "Uber can't lose another market to a local player". What are the opportunities and challenges for Uber?
- India is our single largest market outside of the United States and the merger with Didi has freed up resources for additional focus." Amit Jain, president of Uber India
- Uber currently plays second fiddle to local player Ola which leads with a near 50 percent market share. Uber has increased its share from 13% in 2014 to over 50% in 2016. Ola also has a far bigger footprint (100+ Indian cities) compared to Uber's 29.
- The company also faces regulatory challenges due to the federal nature in transport laws in India.