In a bold move aimed at promoting indigenous technological capabilities, Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has called upon Indian developers to discontinue their use of Google Maps and switch to Ola Maps.
This announcement comes just days after Ola announced its complete transition away from Google Maps to its proprietary navigation platform, Ola Maps.
Bhavish Aggarwal, known for his advocacy of indigenous solutions, emphasized the need for locally tailored mapping technologies that address India’s unique challenges such as diverse street names, urban complexities, and non-standard roads.
Ola Maps, powered by AI-driven India-specific algorithms and real-time data sourced from millions of vehicles, aims to surpass competitors in accuracy of location, search functionalities, and estimated time of arrival (ETA).
As part of Ola’s broader strategy to bolster its Krutrim platform, Bhavish Aggarwal has announced a significant initiative: offering one-year free access to all developers to Ola Maps through the Krutrim platform.
Additionally, over ₹100 crore worth of free credits are being extended to developers to encourage adoption and utilization of Ola’s mapping technology.
The initiative aligns with Ola’s vision to foster a robust ecosystem of local tech solutions, reducing reliance on global platforms.
Earlier this year, Krutrim, Ola’s AI-driven cloud platform, achieved unicorn status following a successful funding round.
Bhavish Aggarwal has been vocal about steering Ola towards full independence from foreign cloud services, having recently announced the shift away from Microsoft’s Azure to Krutrim Cloud.
The integration of Ola Maps into the Krutrim ecosystem marks a pivotal step towards establishing indigenous technological supremacy in India’s tech landscape, competing directly with global giants while empowering local developers to build globally competitive applications.
