Ola partners Maharashtra govt to skill 1 lakh drivers in 5 yrs

Mumbai, Mar 21: Ride-hailing service Ola has inked a pact with Maharashtra government to skill over one lakh youth as independent driver-entrepreneurs over the next five years.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ola and the Maharashtra government was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the company said in a statement today.

"Maharashtra is one of the biggest state economies of India.... Deploying the right skilling and training methodologies to create employability and entrepreneurial opportunities will further drive development to the next level," Fadnavis was quoted as saying in the statement.

"I am confident about our partnership with Ola resulting in the creation of hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs, accelerating our target of skilling 4.5 crore people by 2022," he added.

Under the initiative, Ola will work with the state to expand its network of driver-owned cabs across multiple categories like micro, mini, prime as well as to black and yellow taxis and auto-rickshaws in the state, it added.

Ola will offer improved access to training, technology and revenue for aspiring driver-partners, the statement said.

The state will also work with Ola towards providing the right training infrastructure and technology framework to make a meaningful difference in the current employment scenario.

PTI