InDrive, recognized for its bidding-based ride-hailing mannequin throughout Asia and Latin America, is rolling out a “super-app” technique aimed toward frontier markets — increasing past cabs to ship every day necessities to its customers.
Starting with grocery deliveries in Kazakhstan, InDrive plans to develop into a number of verticals over the subsequent 12 months throughout its high 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 customers use you more frequently, then, of course, they stay longer, they’re more valuable in the ecosystem, and they’re just more loyal overall,” stated 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 section — 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 median of 5 grocery orders per consumer per thirty days, the corporate stated.
Smit informed TechCrunch that InDrive is utilizing a darkish retailer mannequin for grocery deliveries in Kazakhstan, with most gadgets targeted on ready-to-eat meals and round 10% consisting of contemporary merchandise — a part of a method to spice up buyer retention. He added that the mannequin will fluctuate in different areas, the place the corporate is open to partnering domestically, notably in markets with a dense community of mom-and-pop shops.
With out sharing specifics, Smit stated that the corporate has added 30% extra darkish shops within the nation since August.
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Why is Kazakhstan the primary market?
InDrive at the moment operates in 982 cities throughout 48 international locations globally and leads in eight of them. However then why has it picked Kazakhstan as the primary marketplace for its super-app transfer?
Smit informed TechCrunch that the corporate determined to take action after seeing a “huge uptick” in customers going digital within the nation, which is the most important economic 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 latest report by Dealroom, printed in collaboration with the government-backed tech park Astana Hub, famous 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 satisfy a number of the demand. Nonetheless, InDrive desires to win the market predominantly with reasonably priced pricing — aiming to be the Aldi of on-line groceries.
“There is access and inequality, and even access issues with some of the groceries,” stated Smit. “Some of our cost-conscious consumers end up not buying from the right places or not buying the right goods, and they recognize that, but they feel they have no other choice.”
InDrive’s super-app: a differentiator or déjà vu
Many corporations have tried to succeed with tremendous apps. Whereas some, like WeChat and Gojek, have discovered success, others — together with Meta — have struggled to realize traction.
Smit, who labored with WeChat in his former position in 2016, skilled how the built-in expertise on the Chinese language app labored nicely. He informed TechCrunch that, by leveraging his experience and using AI capabilities, InDrive plans to make its super-app technique profitable. The AI integration would assist convey personalization to customers and make companies accessible to folks with disabilities and people with decrease literacy, he stated.
In November 2023, InDrive introduced a enterprise and merger and acquisition arm to make investments as much as $100 million over the subsequent few years. Smit informed 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 supply 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 stated InDrive targets a distinct buyer section — one which Uber sometimes doesn’t serve — although there may be some overlap in sure areas.
“By and large, we really support and play into a cost-conscious consumer,” he stated.
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 equivalent 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 duplicate the method.
Knowledge 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 informed TechCrunch. “India is still growing, and we are focused… we’ve decided to focus very quickly on key cities where we really think we want to operate strongly.”
The corporate is testing completely different fashions, particularly within the freight enterprise, although it’s recognized for permitting riders to haggle with drivers. These embrace completely different cost mechanisms for drivers to receives a commission every day and even go along with a selected take price, Smit stated.
InDrive confronted early challenges and noticed restricted success at first — even in markets like Pakistan, the place it later turned the main ride-hailing platform following Uber’s exit.
“We’ve had sleeper markets where the markets sort of drifted, and then for whatever case, maybe one of the competitors falters,” Smit stated.
Greater than a dozen riders and drivers in India informed TechCrunch that security issues have been a key motive they now not choose utilizing InDrive. Some drivers stated the app’s bidding mannequin had been exploited by riders — and, in some circumstances, even by fellow drivers posing as riders to problem their friends by aggressively haggling.
Smit stated that the corporate prioritizes security and customer support.
“Yes, we need to do a lot more in talking to this safety perception and in teaching and educating our drivers and passengers,” he stated.
Subsequent verticals in plans
InDrive plans to develop its super-app providing by launching new companies tailor-made to native market wants. Smit informed TechCrunch that these might embrace monetary companies. One instance is already reside in markets together with Brazil and Mexico, the place drivers can entry small loans by the ride-hailing app. The corporate is exploring methods to increase this to passengers — and doubtlessly to small companies concerned in deliveries, the manager added.
The corporate additionally plans to discover a service that permits micro-mobility, permitting its customers to attach with native companies and public transportation companies.
“We want to be city-specific, and it could be a bouquet of different services,” Smit stated. “We want to capture the key verticals that we have capability for, that we know and are very close to our core… But if we have no experience in running, for those kinds of services, we will definitely just partner with the right player.”
