Ola's decision to allow offline bookings was unnecessarily delayed, but it's better late than never

Ola recently announced that they’re unveiling an offline booking option for users across India and the only thing I could think off when I heard that was, “It’s about time!” India is a country with a massive digital divide. I live in Mumbai, among the most developed cities in the country, and even I can’t be sure of reliable internet connectivity at all times. While I would pick an Ola or Uber over a regular taxi any day — peace of mind and convenience are the arguments I’d use — there were times that I couldn’t use those services because I simply had no data access. If Ola hopes to move beyond the metros to less privileged cities (in terms of internet speeds and connectivity), they actually have no option but to introduce an offline mode to their service. And that’s exactly what happened. If you look at stats, Internet penetration in India stands at a measly 15.1 percent. In fact, the number of 3G/4G enabled devices is expected to hit 300 million by 2018, that’s just under 18 percent of India’s population. Ola realised that smaller markets, the company mentions Indore and Nagpur, needed such options. Their plan to expand operations in the 102 other cities they operate in depends entirely on such low internet/offline options. Meru Cabs was among the first taxi aggregators in India (founded in 2007), and without its offline booking options, it would never have seen the success that it did. All Ola really needs to do is incorporate Meru’s offline model and they’re set. In a country like India, this is a blindingly obvious choice. It’s a wonder they haven’t done it yet. Now if only Ola could work on the reliability of its advanced booking services.