New Delhi: Taxi and auto aggregator Ola on Tuesday announced its exclusive partnership with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) aiming to boost transportation across the state, with both inter-city and intra-city services, and further promote tourism and mobility ecosystem in the state.
Additionally, Ola will also create 25,000 job opportunities in the state, encouraging entrepreneurship and sustainable income for the youth over the next five years.
With the newly formed capital of the state - Amaravati, the state has embarked upon a renewed vision for growth and development across industries and sectors.
Growth of tourism will play an important role in this, and the Tourism department has undertaken various initiatives to develop Andhra Pradesh as one of India's leading tourist destinations.
As part of the tourism initiatives, Ola will provide a wider reach and a better experience to millions of tourists and residents by launching into new cities from the existing six in the next five years, providing unique mobility solutions.
The agreement was signed and the first batch of exclusively co-branded Ola and Andhra Pradesh Tourism cars were flagged-off by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in the presence of other dignitaries.
Through this initiative, the company is aiming to co-create a comprehensive skill development program for training individuals to become driver partners and providing employment opportunities at nominal costs.
In the coming months, this partnership would also be extended further, bringing additional set of offerings such as electric vehicles, bikes, and Buses in the state based on feasibility and regulatory constraints.
"Our vision is to make Andhra Pradesh, a model state not just for India but for audiences globally. For this, we are betting heavily on technology-based models across sectors. Partnering with companies such as Ola, that has added a new dimension to transportation in India, is in keeping with this vision. Together, we will be able to provide a reliable commute service to tourists and residents, as well as create job and entrepreneurial opportunities for several thousands," said Chief Minister Naidu.
"Ola's mobility offerings such as Outstation and Rental solve a very unique problem for tourists and local residents - the need for a reliable and safe commute option to travel for long durations and between cities.
Specially curated tourism packages coupled with trained driver partners is sure to provide a valuable service to customers and contribute to the growth of tourism in the state," added Pranay Jivrajka, Founding Partner at Ola.
Additionally, as a part of this partnership, under the 'Rental' offering which provides convenient rides based on hourly rates to customers, Ola will create fixed fare packages for key routes in Vijayawada city such as from the airport, the Secretariat, the railway station, and Stalin Corp, among others. Customers will also, have the option to book cabs from Ola kiosks set up at various key locations in the cities mentioned above, for added convenience.
In the recent years, Andhra Pradesh has emerged as one of the leading states in India that attracts a high number of tourists, both national and international. Andhra Pradesh registered a 20 per cent growth in visitors last year, welcoming around 100 million tourists in the State.
Currently, Ola is present in 6 cities in the state- Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Nellore.
