Ola Refocuses on Indian Market, Exits International Operations

Ola Refocuses on Indian Market, Exits International Operations

By Nishang Narayan

Published on April 16, 2024

In a strategic shift, Ola, the ride-hailing powerhouse, has declared it will close its operations in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand to focus more intensely on the Indian market. This decision comes as the company sees substantial growth opportunities in India, particularly within the electric mobility arena.

An Ola spokesperson stated, "The future of mobility is electric—not just in personal mobility but also for the ride-hailing business, and there is immense opportunity for expansion in India." The spokesperson emphasised the potential for electric vehicles in the ride-hailing sector as a driving factor for this concentrated focus.

This shift in strategy arrives at a time when Ola's mobility business in India has shown significant financial improvement, reporting a profit of INR 250 crore in FY23, a dramatic turnaround from a loss of INR 66 crore in FY22. The company’s revenue also saw a substantial increase, growing 58% to INR 2,135 crore in FY23 from INR 1,350 crore in FY22.

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The move to exit international markets where competition is intensifying allows Ola to redirect resources and energy towards enhancing and expanding its services in India. The company's commitment to this new direction is supported by the strong performance and profitability of its operations within the country.

As Ola pivots to focus solely on the Indian market, it aims to lead the charge towards an electric future in mobility, aligning with broader environmental goals and economic growth strategies. The decision underscores Ola's confidence in the Indian market's potential and its commitment to being at the forefront of the country's mobility revolution.


IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 20, 2025

IndiGo and Digi Yatra have announced a new app-to-app integration that allows IndiGo flyers to share boarding passes directly with the Digi Yatra app. The collaboration enhances contactless, biometric-enabled travel while ensuring user consent, data privacy, and faster passenger processing at airports.

IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has partnered with Digi Yatra, the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based ecosystem that uses facial biometric technology for contactless passenger processing, to enable this direct integration between their mobile applications. The initiative eliminates the need for passengers to manually scan or upload boarding passes on the Digi Yatra app.

After completing web check-in, IndiGo flyers can now simply click “Share with Digi Yatra” within the IndiGo app to securely transfer their boarding pass. This process ensures that passenger consent is obtained at every step and that only essential data is shared with authorised Digi Yatra verifiers at airports.

Designed with privacy by design principles, the transaction occurs entirely offline through deep linking between the two apps, without involving any cloud or server processing. This ensures data integrity, authenticity, and enhanced security while improving convenience for travellers.

Commenting on the development, Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, said,

“Our mission is to transform air travel into a seamless, secure, and paperless experience for every passenger. This collaboration with IndiGo marks a significant milestone in that journey. By integrating our technology directly with IndiGo’s app, we are enabling travellers to enjoy faster check-ins, smoother boarding, and enhanced convenience. As more airlines and airports embrace our ecosystem, we will continue to innovate and support India’s vision for digital transformation in travel.”

Neetan Chopra, Chief Information and Digital Officer, IndiGo, added,

“Every year, we fly millions of customers who trust us for our promise of safe, on-time, and hassle-free travel. This partnership with Digi Yatra takes our commitment to customer convenience a step further by enabling a smooth, contactless boarding journey. We are thrilled to be among the first airlines to adopt this technology and remain focused on leveraging innovation to make air travel simpler, faster, and more enjoyable.”

This collaboration underscores the aviation industry’s shared commitment to digital innovation and highlights growing confidence in Digi Yatra’s secure, paperless travel ecosystem as India moves closer to a fully digital airport experience.


Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 14, 2025

Etihad Airways is focusing on premium travel and customer segmentation to boost its business in India, one of its top three global markets, while operating at full capacity under a bilateral seat agreement with the country.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been upgrading its services with new aircraft and enhanced cabin experiences to attract high-value travellers. Since relaunching flights to Kolkata in March 2023, Etihad increased its weekly frequency from four to eight flights by 2025. Across India, the airline now operates 185 flights a week to 11 cities.

“We fly all the seats that the bilateral agreement allows us,” said Javier Alija, Etihad Airways Vice President for Global Sales and Distribution. The agreement caps 50,000 weekly seats for Abu Dhabi-based carriers, shared between Etihad and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Until the agreement changes, the airline cannot add more frequencies or destinations.

To overcome these capacity constraints, Etihad is building partnerships, including a tie-up with Akasa Air, connecting four Indian cities to Abu Dhabi. The airline is also enhancing the passenger experience for long-haul travellers, especially to the US, with Abu Dhabi’s new terminal and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance. This allows passengers to arrive in the US as domestic travellers, saving time at immigration.

Kolkata is the first Indian city to receive Etihad’s new A321 LR aircraft, featuring a redesigned cabin with just 160 seats, two first-class suites, 14 business, and 144 economy seats, offering a widebody-like experience in a narrow-body aircraft. “This reflects Kolkata’s strong premium travel potential,” Alija said.

Etihad’s focus on yield optimisation and operational efficiency has helped the airline achieve record financial results. For the current year, it expects 21–22% growth in seat capacity, 22–23% increase in revenue, and a 30% rise in absolute profit, supported by expansions in other markets. The airline plans to launch 13 new international routes by year-end, aiming to serve nearly 90 destinations worldwide.

Alija added, “Even if our frequencies and destinations remain static, these customer-focused and operational efforts ensure Etihad continues to be the preferred airline for Indian travellers. We are very conscious that our rapid growth should not compromise the financial gains we have achieved.”


Air India Adds Fourth Daily Delhi–London Heathrow Flight for Winter 2025

Air India Adds Fourth Daily Delhi–London Heathrow Flight for Winter 2025

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 12, 2025

Air India has announced an expansion of its services to the United Kingdom for the Northern Winter 2025 schedule, introducing a fourth daily flight between Delhi and London Heathrow starting 26 October 2025. With this addition, the airline will now operate 28 weekly flights on the route, increasing capacity by 1,196 seats each way per week.

All flights on the Delhi–London route will be operated by Air India’s Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, both featuring three-class configurations: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. Travellers can look forward to complimentary WiFi connectivity and over 3,000 hours of inflight entertainment, including one of the largest Indian content libraries available onboard.

Air India remains the largest carrier between India and the UK, operating 61 weekly flights and offering 18,066 seats per week in one direction, translating to nearly 1.7 million seats annually. The airline currently connects Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Amritsar to London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Birmingham.

“With this addition, we are further strengthening our UK operations, ensuring travellers have more flexibility and access to Air India’s upgraded widebody experience,” an Air India spokesperson said.

Premium travellers and eligible Maharaja Club members will continue to enjoy complimentary lounge access globally, including at London Heathrow’s Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Lufthansa Business Lounge, Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, and United Club Lounge. Business Class and Premium Economy guests can also enjoy upgraded amenities, luxury bedding, and fine dining featuring Indian and international cuisine.

As part of its broader UK network optimisation, Air India is also restoring daily services on the Bengaluru–London Heathrow route and resuming thrice-weekly flights on Ahmedabad–London Gatwick, Amritsar–London Gatwick, and Delhi–Birmingham routes. The Mumbai–London Heathrow double daily service will remain unchanged.

This latest expansion underscores Air India’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and passenger experience, reflecting its ongoing transformation and growing international footprint.

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