BREAKING: Ola Cabs changes name to Ola Consumer; Bhavish Aggarwal unveils Ola's automated dark stores

Ride hailing service Ola Cabs has been rebranded to Ola Consumer in a move marking the homegrown firm's growing ambitions. Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal announced the brand's name change to Ola Consumer, in order to cover a wide range of consumer services.

At its event Sankalp 2024, Ola also showcased its automated dark stores - small retail warehouses that store goods for rapid deliveries. Asking the crowd whether they were excited about the tech-powered "containers" operated by Ola, Aggarwal revealed that robots will be installed in this dark stores to reduce human involvement.

"These dark stores will be available for all kiranas and brands in the ONDC network and not just for Ola," Aggarwal said.

The company also announced that Krutrim, the AI startup launched by Aggarwal, are now live with Ola Electric and Ola Cabs along with Krutrim's AI customer care tool. Launched in 2023, Krutrim became the country's first AI unicorn earlier this year after disclosing a $50 million financing at a $1 billion valuation.

Ola Electric Mobility made its stock market debut last week. The company also launched the 'Roadster' series, its first set of e-motorcycles, at a starting price of Rs 74,999, at Sankalp 2024.

During the launch, Aggarwal stated, "Today, we will reveal the future of our business across three companies and three distinct segments. Our ambition for the Ola Consumer business is to provide affordable, efficient, and accessible ride experiences across India. Just three years ago, Ola Electric was merely a dream. Today, we have become the leading EV company in the country and the largest two-wheeler EV manufacturer in the world. In fact, among all EV companies globally, we now rank as the fifth largest concerning the market capitalisation."

Aggarwal also announced that Ola is developing the next generation of battery technology with its 4680 cell. Aggarwal, who was sporting a white kurta with a tricolour pin and a man bun, said the battery will be called the 'BharatCell' — the first cell to be built in India.

Sankalp was premiered at Ola’s Futurefactory in Krishnagiri on August 15, the day of India's independence. Curated as an annual event, Ola said this program reflects India’s journey through Amrit Kaal, a period of significant progress and self-realization, and aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. The company added, "Sankalp 2024 underscored the shift from dependency on western technologies to fostering India’s homegrown innovations, focusing on advancements in AI, sustainable energy, and electric mobility."