No commissions! Ola launches new zero percent model in India; entire fare earnings to go to drivers
The fare for your next trip on an Ola will go entirely to the driver. Ola has announced nationwide implementation of a zero percent commission structure, enabling drivers across its auto, bike, and cab services to keep their entire fare earnings.The implementation was conducted systematically, beginning with auto services, then bike services, and finally extending to cab services.Ola claims that it is now India’s first ride-hailing service to completely remove commission charges. Drivers now have the flexibility to select their preferred plans whilst retaining their complete earnings, without any reductions or earning limitations.An Ola Consumer spokesperson told ET, “The launch of the zero percent commission model pan-India marks a fundamental shift in the ride-hailing business. Removing commissions empowers driver partners with much more ownership and opportunity.”According to a previous report in the financial daily, Ola and Uber have adopted a subscription-based fee structure, previously introduced by Namma Yatri and Swiggy-backed Rapido, for auto rickshaw drivers. This system replaces traditional per-trip commission or booking fees with fixed daily or weekly charges, providing drivers unlimited ride access.A Telangana-based organisation representing gig workers expressed scepticism about the overall effectiveness of the latest initiative. “All aggregator companies charge subscription fees—before the ride, you must recharge. They may be removing commissions, but they already charged subscription fees from the riders,” said Shaik Salauddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union.As part of its expansion beyond transport services into automated warehousing, Ola Credit, and Ola Pay, Ola rebranded its ride-hailing division as Ola Consumer in the previous year.The company, under Bhavish Aggarwal’s leadership, has seen declining revenues and multiple high-level departures during the past year. Its revenue from operations and other income across ride-hailing, financial services, and logistics decreased to Rs 2,368 crore in FY24 from Rs 3,000 crore in FY23.In December 2024, two veteran executives, Suvonil Chatterjee, chief technology and product officer, and Anshul Khandelwal, chief marketing officer, departed Ola Electric. Both executives had previously worked at Ola Cabs before joining the EV division.The company has also attracted regulatory attention. In January 2025, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent notices to Ola and other ride-hailing companies regarding price differences between Android and iPhone users.In May, Union consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the CCPA had broadened its investigation of the advance tipping feature to include Ola Cabs and Rapido, following an earlier notice to Uber.
