Online travel company MakeMyTrip has acquired a majority stake in Bengaluru-based shared mobility platform Quick Ride, marking its entry into the ride pooling segment. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Quick Ride operates an asset-light platform that connects people travelling along similar routes, allowing them to share rides for daily commuting and intercity journeys. The acquisition will give MakeMyTrip access to the shared mobility segment, which covers regular travel requirements within cities and between destinations.
Following the transaction, the Quick Ride brand and its ride pooling business have been moved to a newly formed entity, Co Ride Mobility Private Limited. MakeMyTrip holds the majority stake in the new entity, while the existing promoters will continue to manage its operations.
MakeMyTrip New Business
The acquisition expands MakeMyTrip presence in ground transport beyond its existing travel services. Ride pooling offers a different business opportunity from conventional taxi bookings, as it connects individuals travelling in the same direction rather than assigning a separate vehicle to each passenger.
Quick Ride platform is designed around everyday commuting requirements, including office travel and other regular journeys. Its asset-light model connects riders and people offering available seats, without requiring the platform to own and operate a large vehicle fleet.
MakeMyTrip Co-Founder and Group CEO Rajesh Magow said the acquisition would help the company enter the daily commute market alongside its existing intercity travel business. "Ride pooling gives us a presence in high-frequency daily commutes within cities, as well as intercity travel," Magow said.
Quick Ride Ownership
As part of the transaction, the ride pooling business will operate through Co Ride Mobility Private Limited under the MakeMyTrip group. The existing promoters of Quick Ride will continue to lead the business, allowing its current management team to remain involved after the ownership change.
The restructuring also separates the ride pooling business from Quick Ride earlier electric vehicle taxi operations. The EV taxi business will remain with the predecessor entity, iDisha Info Labs Private Limited, and will not move to the new company.
Quick Ride will become part of MakeMyTrip ground transport business, which is led by Prakash Sangam, CEO of redBus and Head of Ground Transport. The integration places the shared mobility platform within the group business responsible for land-based travel services.
MakeMyTrip Acquisitions
MakeMyTrip has used acquisitions and investments to expand into different segments of the travel industry. Its previous transactions include Savaari in the car rental segment, Happay in corporate travel and expense management, and Flamingo Transworld in group holiday packages.
Company has also made a minority investment in Atlys, a visa processing platform. These transactions have helped MakeMyTrip extend its presence beyond flight and hotel bookings into other services connected with travel planning and management.
Quick Ride acquisition adds shared mobility to this portfolio. Unlike traditional travel bookings, ride pooling focuses on frequent journeys and everyday transportation needs, giving the company an opportunity to participate in a segment with regular commuter demand.
Shared Mobility Adoption
Shared mobility platforms connect passengers travelling on similar routes and help them divide travel costs. The model is used for office commutes, daily city travel and some intercity journeys.
For users, ride pooling can provide an alternative to travelling alone or booking an individual taxi. However, its adoption depends on factors such as route availability, matching passengers with similar schedules, convenience, safety and pricing.
For MakeMyTrip, the key challenge will be to integrate Quick Ride into its wider transport business while maintaining the platform existing user base and operating model.
About Quick Ride
Quick Ride is a Bengaluru-based shared mobility startup founded in 2015 by KNM Rao. It operates a technology-based platform that connects commuters travelling along similar routes for carpooling and bike pooling. Its asset-light business model focuses on facilitating shared journeys between users rather than owning a fleet of vehicles.
Platform also operates in the intercity ride-sharing segment. Following the latest transaction, its ride pooling business operates under Co Ride Mobility Private Limited, with MakeMyTrip holding the majority stake and the original promoters continuing to lead operations.
The acquisition marks another expansion step for MakeMyTrip in the ground transport market. Its performance in the ride pooling segment will depend on user adoption, the availability of suitable travel matches and its ability to build regular commuting activity across cities.
