Uber and WhatsApp on Thursday announced a partnership that will allow people in the country to book a ride via WhatsApp — a global-first initiative by the ride-hailing platform.

With this integration, riders will no longer need to download or use the Uber app. Everything — from user registration, booking a ride and getting a trip receipt — will be managed within the WhatsApp chat interface, a statement said.

The integration is a global-first for Uber, and it will make booking a ride as easy as sending a WhatsApp message, it added. It is being rolled out on a pilot basis in the northern part of Lucknow first and will be expanded to other Indian cities soon.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for all Indians to take an Uber trip, and to do that we need to meet them on platforms they are comfortable with. Our partnership with WhatsApp does just that, giving riders a new way to get a ride through a simple, familiar and trusted channel,” Uber APAC senior director (Business Development) Nandini Maheshwari said.

Built on WhatsApp Business Platform, the partnership will expand access to Uber’s mobility services in its largest international markets.

Ola plans IPO

Indian ride-hailing company Ola plans to go public in the first half of 2022, chief executive officer Bhavish Aggarwal said on Thursday, undeterred by the recent volatility and lacklustre listing of some start-ups in the country.

Ola, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, is also gearing up to create something of a “super app” with plans to broaden its services beyond mobility to include personal finance and micro insurance, Aggarwal told the Reuters Next conference.

“We are not a company that takes a short-term view on anything. Short-term, there might be volatilities in the market but that has never informed our decisions,” said Aggarwal.