Rapido Expands Lead In Rideshare With More Users Than Peer Uber

With over five crore Android users in India, ride-hailing platform Rapido has increased its lead over peer Uber, which reported over three crore customers. Today, the number of active users on Rapido is almost the same as the number of users on apps like Zomato and Swiggy, according to data collated by app traffic analyser Sensor Tower.

About 90% of Indian mobile phones use Android operating systems. While Rapido's active users are ahead of Uber's, one must also note that the Bengaluru-based company has a clear lead in high-volume categories like bike taxis and autorickshaws.

Rapido, an unlisted company founded in 2015 as theKarrie by Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, and SR Rishikesh had originally gained traction with its 'Bike-Taxi' offering. It was the first company to offer two-wheeler taxi service in the market and quickly gained market share between 2015-2018, soon after which it launched three-wheelers as well as cab service.

Last month, Uber Technologies Inc. chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said that Rapido had replaced Ola as its prime rival and competition. The statement came after Ola saw a tough year filled with multiple issues across its products, including its electric scooter, commission complaints by cab drivers, and service-related issues reported by users.

As of July, 2025, Rapido — which is piloting a food delivery app in Bengaluru — has an active user base that is slightly ahead of Zomato, and is inching closer to the user base of Swiggy, which still houses quick commerce platform Instamart within the parent application.

"Rapido's recent pilot launch in Bengaluru could lead to increased competition/expanded market in the medium term," analysts at Citi wrote in a note last month.

In August, Rapido's parent entity was fined Rs 10 lakh by India's consumer rights watchdog over misleading advertisements. The Central Consumer Protection Authority had taken up the case on a suo-moto basis against Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. over alleged misleading advertisements on its official platforms, including YouTube and Facebook.

The authority looked into the company's claims of 'Guaranteed Auto' and 'Auto in 5 min or get Rs 50.'

CCPA said that Rapido's advertisements directly influenced consumers' decision-making and that Rapido adopted such unfair and deceptive practices for the purpose of promoting the sale of its service.

The misleading advertisements ran for 548 days across over 120 cities and in multiple languages, which increased the misleading influence of the ads, said the CCPA.