InDrive has big plans to become a global ‘super app’ where others have failed

InDrive, identified for its bidding-based ride-hailing model throughout Asia and Latin America, is rolling out a “super-app” technique geared toward frontier markets — increasing past cabs to ship every day necessities to its customers.

Starting with grocery deliveries in Kazakhstan, InDrive plans to broaden into a number of verticals over the following 12 months throughout its prime markets, together with Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Pakistan, Peru, and Mexico. The shift comes on the heels of greater than 360 million app downloads and 6.5 billion transactions globally, cementing its place because the world’s second most-downloaded ride-hailing app, behind Uber, since 2022.

“If prospects use you extra ceaselessly, then, after all, they keep longer, they’re extra useful within the ecosystem, they usually’re simply extra loyal total,” mentioned Andries Smit, chief progress enterprise officer at InDrive, in an unique interview.

InDrive selected grocery supply as its first growth transfer after seeing speedy progress in its supply phase — with over 41 million orders accomplished worldwide in 2024 and greater than 14 million in Q2 2025 alone — making it one of many fastest-scaling classes within the firm’s portfolio.

The Mountain View, California-based firm has launched its grocery supply service in Kazakhstan, providing over 5,000 merchandise with a 15-minute supply promise. Early pilots within the Central Asian nation yielded a internet promoter rating of 83% — signaling excessive buyer satisfaction — and a mean of 5 grocery orders per person monthly, the corporate mentioned.

Smit instructed TechCrunch that InDrive is utilizing a darkish retailer mannequin for grocery deliveries in Kazakhstan, with most gadgets centered on ready-to-eat meals and round 10% consisting of recent merchandise — a part of a technique to spice up buyer retention. He added that the mannequin will differ in different areas, the place the corporate is open to partnering regionally, notably in markets with a dense community of mom-and-pop shops.

With out sharing specifics, Smit mentioned that the corporate has added 30% extra darkish shops within the nation since August.

Why is Kazakhstan the primary market?

InDrive at present operates in 982 cities throughout 48 nations globally and leads in eight of them. However then why has it picked Kazakhstan as the primary marketplace for its super-app transfer?

Smit instructed TechCrunch that the corporate determined to take action after seeing a “big uptick” in shoppers going digital within the nation, which is the most important financial system throughout Central Asia. InDrive additionally has its largest headcount in Kazakhstan, serving as a central hub for its R&D and operations.

InDrive didn’t disclose particular progress metrics for its operations in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, a current report by Dealroom, revealed in collaboration with the government-backed tech park Astana Hub, noted that the corporate noticed a 44% progress within the nation over the previous 12 months.

The report additionally valued Kazakhstan’s tech ecosystem at $26 billion — an 18-fold leap since 2019 — suggesting a pointy rise in native startup formation, funding, and digital companies.

Kazakhstan already has grocery supply apps to meet a number of the demand. Nonetheless, InDrive needs to win the market predominantly with inexpensive pricing — aiming to be the Aldi of on-line groceries.

“There may be entry and inequality, and even entry points with a number of the groceries,” mentioned Smit. “A few of our cost-conscious shoppers find yourself not shopping for from the fitting locations or not shopping for the fitting items, they usually acknowledge that, however they really feel they haven’t any different selection.”

InDrive’s super-app: a differentiator or déjà vu

Many firms have tried to succeed with tremendous apps. Whereas some, like WeChat and Gojek, have discovered success, others — together with Meta — have struggled to gain traction.

Smit, who labored with WeChat in his former position in 2016, skilled how the built-in expertise on the Chinese language app labored effectively. He instructed TechCrunch that, by leveraging his experience and using AI capabilities, InDrive plans to make its super-app technique profitable. The AI integration would assist deliver personalization to customers and make companies accessible to folks with disabilities and people with decrease literacy, he mentioned.

In November 2023, InDrive introduced a enterprise and merger and acquisition arm to invest up to $100 million over the following few years. Smit instructed TechCrunch that of that enterprise, about 30% has already been deployed on the super-app technique.

The corporate invested in Pakistan’s grocery startup, Krave Mart, in December as a part of that enterprise. Nevertheless, there isn’t a concrete timeline on when InDrive’s app will provide grocery deliveries to customers in Pakistan.

InDrive’s arch-rival Uber has additionally expanded its service portfolio, including verticals like meals supply by Uber Eats in choose markets. Smit mentioned InDrive targets a special buyer phase — one which Uber sometimes doesn’t serve — although there’s some overlap in sure areas.

“By and enormous, we actually assist and play right into a cost-conscious client,” he mentioned.

India as a “puzzle” market

Along with frontier markets together with Kazakhstan, InDrive has been working in India for a while, competing with Uber in addition to homegrown gamers corresponding to Ola and Rapido. Nevertheless, the corporate has not picked up within the South Asian nation. Uber even piloted a model of InDrive’s bidding mannequin in India, trying to copy the method.

Information from Appfigures completely shared with TechCrunch exhibits that InDrive noticed 1.07 million fewer downloads year-to-date in comparison with the identical interval in 2024 — a 22.6% decline. In distinction, Uber added 8.02 million downloads, up 60.6%, whereas Ola gained 1.55 million, a 13.2% enhance. Rapido emerged because the fastest-growing participant, with 14.9 million further downloads — an 80.9% surge.

“India is a puzzle for us,” Smit instructed TechCrunch. “India remains to be rising, and we’re centered… we’ve determined to focus in a short time on key cities the place we actually suppose we wish to function strongly.”

The corporate is testing totally different fashions, particularly within the freight enterprise, although it’s identified for permitting riders to haggle with drivers. These embody totally different fee mechanisms for drivers to receives a commission every day and even go together with a selected take fee, Smit mentioned.

InDrive confronted early challenges and noticed restricted success at first — even in markets like Pakistan, the place it later grew to become the main ride-hailing platform following Uber’s exit.

“We’ve had sleeper markets the place the markets type of drifted, after which for no matter case, possibly one of many rivals falters,” Smit mentioned.

Greater than a dozen riders and drivers in India instructed TechCrunch that security considerations had been a key motive they now not favor utilizing InDrive. Some drivers mentioned the app’s bidding mannequin had been exploited by riders — and, in some instances, even by fellow drivers posing as riders to trouble their friends by aggressively haggling.

Smit mentioned that the corporate prioritizes security and customer support.

“Sure, we have to do much more in speaking to this security notion and in instructing and educating our drivers and passengers,” he mentioned.

Subsequent verticals in plans

InDrive plans to broaden its super-app providing by launching new companies tailor-made to native market wants. Smit instructed TechCrunch that these might embody monetary companies. One instance is already stay in markets together with Brazil and Mexico, the place drivers can access small loans through the ride-hailing app. The corporate is exploring methods to increase this to passengers — and doubtlessly to small companies concerned in deliveries, the chief added.

The corporate additionally plans to discover a service that allows micro-mobility, permitting its shoppers to attach with native companies and public transportation companies.

“We wish to be city-specific, and it might be a bouquet of various companies,” Smit mentioned. “We wish to seize the important thing verticals that we have now functionality for, that we all know and are very near our core… But when we have now no expertise in working, for these sorts of companies, we will certainly simply accomplice with the fitting participant.”