Ola has tied up with BMW to forward its premium aggregator cab offering, Ola Lux.
Story by: Ashish Bhatia
Ola and BMW India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU makes BMW a category partner of Ola for its premium premium ‘Lux’ offering. Ola Lux is currently offered in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. It is made up of luxury cars, the minimum fare of which is Rs. 250 per km. A fare of Rs. 20 to Rs. 22 per km is charged thereafter. By associating with Ola, BMW is expected to leverage the opportunity to increase sales, and in the process satisfy aspiring customers who find the price tag of BMW cars discouraging. Expressed Frank Schloeder, President (act.), BMW Group India, that a need gap exists. “It is Ola’s scale of operations and exponential growth that compelled us to partner with them,” he added. According to Schloeder, the luxury segment constitutes a dismal one per cent in India in comparison to 10 per cent share globally. At five per cent China ranks second. Enabling BMW cars to be a part of Ola customer’s daily lives, Ola Lux, apart from extending professional chauffeur driven cars, offers features like ‘ride later’, ‘Ola Corporate’, and more. With driver details displayed upfront, the Ola Lux cars are equipped with SOS buttons, auto-connect fourth generation Wi-Fi, and are tracked live apart from being supported by an online payment medium called ‘Ola Money’.
With BMW by its side, Ola has come out with attractive proposals that would enable the cab aggregator to tap into what Pranay Jivrajka, Ola’s COO, terms as tremendous potential. With BMW, expressed Jivrajka, we have come up with attractive proposals that will enable the operators to enter the segment with ease. The association will thus offer Ola cab operators easy financing, after-sales support and assured buy-back for the car, he mentioned. With assured buy-back claimed to be a way of securing the cab operator’s investment, in a bid to enhance customer experience, certified BMW instructors will train drivers. The cars, made available at attractive price points, will have BMW Financial Services India offering 100 per cent finance for up to four years at low interest rates. Pre-and-post sales ownership will be backed by support that extends through out the vehicle life. The after-sales service packages are expected to reduce the cost of ownership. Packages like ‘BMW Service Inclusive plus and BMW Repair Inclusive’ will be valid for up to three years or 100,000 km. The transparent service package and extended warranty would cover maintenance cost, inspection and wear and tear. Those who engage Ola Lux, have to pay rupees three per minute of the ride time apart from Rs. 20 per km. Service tax is payable in addition to the ride fare. Toll and parking are charged in the customer invoice over and above the regular pricing.
