“This is a part of the Adani Group’s strategy to build ancillary offerings that support the airport business growth,” one of the sources said. Adani Group operates airports in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, and Mangalore.
As a means of providing ancillary support to the traction at Adani Airports in Tier-I cities, the Adani group reportedly plans to invest in fleets of passenger vehicles that would be listed on ride-hailing mediums like Uber.
There have already been discussions between Uber and Adani Group, which operates seven airports in the country. According to a report by sources, the two companies recently announced a partnership under which Adani Airports now has dedicated Uber pick-up zones at five of its seven airports.
“This is a part of the Adani Group’s strategy to build ancillary offerings that support the airport business growth,” one of the sources said. Adani Group operates airports in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, and Mangalore.
In addition to its airport business, the Ahmedabad-based group has been investing in other companies. The company signed an agreement with India’s most extensive independent aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul company, AirWorks, earlier this month, valued at Rs 400 crore.
The group acquired a 74 percent stake in Flemingo Travel Retail and its Mumbai Travel Retail unit last year, which operate duty-free outlets at major Indian airports. Cleartrip, an online travel agency owned by Flipkart, was acquired by the Adani Group in October last year.
Uber and Ola have been experiencing supply problems due to drivers not returning to their platforms in full numbers following the pandemic. “For players like Uber and Ola, the entry of a large participant in the fleet operator segment could come as a shot in the arm,” another source said, as per the report. Airport rides are believed to be the most profitable segment of the ride-hailing business based on industry estimates.
