Gurugram: MakeMyTrip (NASDAQ: MMYT) has acquired a majority stake in Quick Ride’s ride-pooling business, marking its entry into India’s shared mobility segment. The acquisition expands the online travel company’s ground transportation portfolio beyond conventional travel services into everyday urban commuting, where millions of Indians face the familiar challenges of traffic congestion, rising travel costs and increasingly crowded roads.
The investment gives MakeMyTrip a foothold in the high-frequency daily commuting market, complementing its existing ground transport operations, including redBus. The company plans to leverage its experience in scaling transportation platforms to develop Quick Ride’s operations in India and potentially other markets.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Quick Ride to Operate Under New Entity
Headquartered in Bengaluru, Quick Ride operates a technology-driven, asset-light ride-pooling platform that connects commuters travelling along similar routes. Its business model focuses on making better use of existing vehicles by allowing passengers to share journeys, potentially reducing commuting expenses and the number of vehicles on urban roads.
The platform also follows an enterprise-led business model, establishing partnerships with corporations, IT parks and business campuses to facilitate shared commuting among employees.
As part of an internal restructuring, the Quick Ride brand and its ride-pooling operations have been transferred to a new entity, Co Ride Mobility Private Limited, in which MakeMyTrip has acquired a majority stake.
Quick Ride’s promoters will continue to lead the business, ensuring operational continuity following the investment.
Importantly, the transaction does not include Quick Ride’s former electric vehicle taxi operations. That business will remain with its predecessor entity, iDisha Info Labs Private Limited.
MakeMyTrip Sees Opportunity in Everyday Commuting
The acquisition represents a strategic expansion for MakeMyTrip, which has traditionally focused on travel booking, accommodation, intercity transportation and related services.
By entering ride pooling, the company is moving into a segment where customer engagement can potentially occur several times a week rather than being limited to occasional holidays or business trips.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer, MakeMyTrip, said, “As part of our expansion strategy, we have pursued selective strategic partnerships, investments and acquisitions that complement and strengthen our existing business and expand the breadth and depth of our offerings. Ride pooling gives us a presence in high-frequency daily commutes within cities, as well as intercity travel. We are excited to be part of the ride-sharing ecosystem, which has the potential to help ease traffic congestion by enabling more people to share their daily journeys. Quick Ride will be housed under our ground transport business, and we will bring the learnings from building redBus, both in India and in overseas markets, to grow and scale the business.”
The reference to redBus is significant, as MakeMyTrip intends to apply its experience in developing transport networks and technology platforms to the ride-pooling business.
From Office Commutes to Weekend Travel
Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus and Head – Ground Transport, MakeMyTrip, highlighted the potential to serve customers across different transportation requirements.
“Our acquisition of Quick Ride’s ride pooling business is a strategic fit, expanding our offering across a wider range of travel needs. We see an opportunity to jointly serve the same customer across more of their journeys, from the daily office commute to the weekend trip home.”
For MakeMyTrip, the strategy could create additional opportunities for customer engagement across urban mobility and longer-distance travel.
The company already has a presence in intercity bus bookings through redBus and car rental services through Savaari. Quick Ride adds another dimension to that portfolio by addressing shorter, recurring journeys within cities.
In practical terms, MakeMyTrip wants to be relevant not only when customers plan their next holiday, but also when they are trying to reach the office on a Monday morning.
Quick Ride Founder to Continue Leading Business
KNM Rao, Founder & CEO, Quick Ride, described the acquisition as an important development for the company and its users.
“We built Quick Ride to make it easier for people to connect and share their everyday journeys. Becoming part of the MakeMyTrip group is an important milestone for our team and for the community of users who have placed their trust in us. We look forward to drawing on MakeMyTrip’s reach and experience in travel to further scale the business.”
The continued involvement of Quick Ride’s existing leadership could help the business maintain its established corporate relationships and operating model while gaining access to MakeMyTrip’s wider travel ecosystem.
Another Addition to MakeMyTrip’s Acquisition Strategy
The Quick Ride investment follows a series of acquisitions and strategic investments through which MakeMyTrip has expanded into complementary travel businesses.
Its portfolio includes Savaari in car rental services, Happay in corporate travel and expense management, and Flamingo Transworld in regional group holiday packages. The company has also made a strategic minority investment in Atlys, a technology platform focused on visa processing.
Together, these investments reflect MakeMyTrip’s broader ambition to offer services across multiple stages of a customer’s journey, from travel planning and documentation to transportation and accommodation.
The Quick Ride acquisition extends that strategy into shared commuting, a market shaped by India’s growing urban workforce and increasing pressure on road infrastructure.
A Bigger Bet on Shared Urban Mobility
Ride pooling offers a potential alternative to single-occupancy vehicle travel, particularly in cities with large corporate campuses and concentrated employment hubs. However, its success depends on factors including commuter participation, route compatibility, convenience and the ability to sustain reliable services.
For MakeMyTrip, the acquisition offers an opportunity to participate in a transportation segment that operates far more frequently than conventional leisure travel. For Quick Ride, the partnership provides access to an established travel technology group while retaining its existing leadership.
Whether the combination translates into wider adoption remains to be seen. But the transaction illustrates a broader shift in India’s mobility industry, where travel platforms are increasingly looking beyond booking tickets and hotel rooms to address the everyday movement of people.
For MakeMyTrip, the journey is no longer just about reaching a holiday destination. It is also about getting people to work, and possibly taking a few cars off the road along the way.
