Rapido Overtakes Uber and Ola with 74 Million Monthly Active Users, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Visits India as Competition Intensifies
In a landmark shift for India’s ride-hailing industry, homegrown mobility platform Rapido has overtaken both Uber and Ola in monthly active users (MAU) , according to data from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower . The development marks a major turning point in a market long dominated by the two global and domestic giants.
The Numbers: A Clear Lead
Between January 1 and February 28, 2026, Rapido recorded a staggering 73.96 million monthly active users . In comparison, Uber logged 39.05 million MAU, while Ola trailed with 28.15 million MAU during the same period . This puts Rapido’s user base at roughly double that of Uber’s.
Monthly Active Users (Jan-Feb 2026)
- Rapido: 73.96 million (52.4%)
- Uber: 39.05 million (27.7%)
- Ola: 28.15 million (19.9%)
The lead is equally pronounced in weekly metrics. Between January 19 and February 22, 2026, Rapido recorded 40.07 million weekly active users (WAU) , significantly ahead of Uber’s 20.56 million and Ola’s 11.63 million .
Why Rapido is Winning
Rapido’s ascendancy reflects a broader shift in India’s mobility preferences. The company has successfully moved beyond its initial bike-taxi offering to build a comprehensive, mass-market platform.
Key drivers of Rapido’s growth include:
- Hyperlocal focus: Strong emphasis on short-distance urban mobility, catering to the “everyday commute” segment rather than just airport or long-distance trips
- Competitive pricing: A cost structure that allows lower fares without the heavy discounting seen in earlier market battles
- Expanded offerings: Strategic entry into auto-rickshaw and cab rides across multiple cities, providing one-stop access to varied transport modes
- Language accessibility: App support for multiple Indian languages including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English
The platform’s expansion from its initial bike-taxi offering into autos and cabs has allowed it to capture a wider user base across different price points and travel distances .
Food Delivery: The Ownly Pivot
Beyond ride-hailing, Rapido is making aggressive moves into food delivery with Ownly, a standalone app launched in March 2026 . The platform is taking a disruptive approach that directly challenges the Swiggy-Zomato duopoly.
What makes Ownly different:
- Zero-commission model for restaurants (incumbents charge 16-30% per order)
- Fixed delivery fee structure (Rs 25 per order for orders above Rs 100)
- Price parity mandate requiring restaurants to maintain same prices online and in-store
- Leverages existing Rapido captain network for delivery logistics
CEO Aravind Sanka has drawn a direct parallel with Meesho’s e-commerce playbook, arguing that the current commission-heavy structure has made online food delivery unaffordable for the masses while leaving tens of thousands of smaller restaurants invisible to the digital economy .
Of the 2,300 restaurants Ownly has onboarded in Bengaluru, 15% are entirely new to online food delivery — validating Rapido’s thesis that there is significant untapped supply waiting for fairer economics .
Uber’s Response: Dara Khosrowshahi Visits India
The intensifying competition prompted Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to undertake a five-day visit to India in May 2026, marking his first trip to the country since early 2024 . During his visit, Khosrowshahi met with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi .
Key developments from his visit:
- Strategic investment roadmap discussions with the finance ministry, with Khosrowshahi noting that the number of earners on Uber’s platform in India has quadrupled since 2022
- EV transition push from government ministers urging Uber to support drivers and fleet owners in shifting to electric vehicles
- Continued India commitment with Uber having already injected Rs 3,000 crore into its India entity in February amid rising competition
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant noted that Uber has evolved “from a premium cab service into a true mobility platform,” adding that “Uber’s best chapter in India is still ahead” .
Funding and Expansion Plans
Rapido is simultaneously building a war chest for its expansion. The company is in the process of raising **Rs 125 crore (14.6million)fromNexusVenturePartners∗∗,followinga∗∗Rs250croreinfusionfromProsus∗∗earlierthisyear[citation:6].TheseinvestmentsarepartofanextendedSeriesEroundthatvaluedthecompanyatapproximately1.1 billion in September 2025 .
The company has also reportedly begun setting up a fintech vertical, signaling ambitions to become a broader consumer services platform rather than remaining a pure-play mobility player .
The Burning Question: Rapido’s Path to Profitability
While the user numbers are impressive, the financial question lingers. Rapido’s FY24 revenue from operations grew to Rs 648 crore from Rs 443 crore in FY23, while losses narrowed 45% to Rs 371 crore . The company is still in investment mode as it launches Ownly and expands its mobility footprint.
Rapido’s approach to food delivery relies on a structural advantage: the complementary demand curves of bike-taxi (morning/evening peaks) and food delivery (lunch/dinner peaks) allow better captain utilization and lower logistics costs than pure-play food platforms .
CEO Aravind Sanka told Inc42: “From a driver utilisation point of view, we can be much more efficient. Food delivery exactly complements bike-taxi demand patterns. And hence our logistics cost is lesser than others” .
That said, Sanka acknowledged that capturing meaningful market share from entrenched players will take time. “Even though Ownly currently does not want to discount heavily and is relying on restaurant partnerships, it will be a difficult journey,” one investor told BusinessLine .
What This Means for India’s Mobility Ecosystem
Rapido’s rise reflects a maturing market where value has shifted from premium, scheduled cabs to on-demand, mass-market, short-distance mobility. The company’s ability to integrate ride-hailing with new verticals like food delivery positions it as a potential super-app contender.
The mobility market is no longer a duopoly — it is a three-way contest, with Rapido holding the user lead while Uber leverages its global scale and Ola works to defend its remaining turf. For consumers, the outcome is likely to be more choice, better pricing, and continued innovation in how India moves.
