Rapido Banks On Airport Services To Enhance Its Technological Prowess And Expertise
- By Gaurav Nandi
- November 28, 2024
With a priority to provide a seamless customer experience by tackling common pain points like ride rejections among others, the app-cab aggregator Rapido has established cab zones at airports in cities like Visakhapatnam and Surat.
Keen to expand its presence, the company is working to expand its reach to other cities with airports such that it can tap airport routes with competitive fares and well-conditioned vehicle fleet.
Revealing that they are expanding their airport services across other metro cities in the current quarter of FY2024025, Rapido Cabs Head, Rajiv Bhyri, mentioned at an event in Kolkata that they see airport routes as a key area for growth due to the high demand for reliable, round-the-clock transportation options.
“With the increasing number of travellers, we believe our airport services will offer riders the lowest prices while our zero-commission model maximises captains' earnings,” he averred.
Providing an insight into Rapido’s strategy to address the ride rejections faced by commuters that use app-based aggregators, Bhyri said, “Rapido is focused on providing a seamless customer experience and resolving common pain points such as ride rejections that many commuters face with app-based aggregators. With the rise in airport traffic, our strategy emphasises affordability and reliability. By offering competitive fares and maintaining a fleet of well-maintained vehicles, we aim to ensure a dependable and pleasant journey for our customers.”
Entering an association with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Rapido has already began offering affordable and seamless commute solutions to travellers at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. The service was inaugurated by State Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty. State Transport Secretary Dr Saumitra Mohan and others were also present.
To set up dedicated cab service zones at Kolkata Airport where travellers can easily access safe, reliable and budget-friendly rides through its platform, Rapido is emphasising on tech-powered SaaS business model. This business model is designed to guarantee real-time ride availability and highly competitive pricing.
"With the launch of this service at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, we're not just offering cost-effective travel solutions but also creating valuable employment opportunities for our local drivers. The technology-driven approach aligns with our vision of making West Bengal a leader in smart mobility and we're confident this initiative will set new benchmarks,” expressed Chakraborty.
Rapido Co-founder Pavan Guntupalli explained: "At Rapido, our mission is to revolutionise mobility by delivering reliable, safe and affordable solutions through innovation. Our collaboration with the Airports Authority of India to introduce dedicated cab zones at major airports is a significant step in enhancing the traveller experience while empowering local communities through job creation. With Rapido’s technology-driven platform, passengers can expect seamless airport commutes at the most competitive prices."
- Applied AI Research Centre
- IIIT-Hyderabad
- Govind Krishnan
- INAI
- Ravi Kiran S
- Centre for Visual Information Technology
- CVIT
- Prithvi Jonnada
- Dr Ganesh Yalla
- iHub-Data
IIIT-Hyderabad Develops AI Traffic Enforcement System
- By MT Bureau
- July 21, 2026
The Applied AI Research Centre (INAI) at IIIT-Hyderabad has developed an artificial intelligence traffic violation detection system named VIOLA. The project uses dashcams installed in police patrol vehicles to detect traffic infractions and integrate with the Telangana Police e-Challan workflow.
Govind Krishnan, who leads translational AI initiatives for mobility at INAI, said that the question is not why accidents happen. “We already know the answers. The real question is: How can we help solve this problem? Or more importantly, how can artificial intelligence help solve this?”
The system builds upon prior research from Prof. Ravi Kiran S at the Centre for Visual Information Technology (CVIT) regarding helmet detection. By mounting cameras on police vehicles, the setup monitors infractions such as helmet violations, triple riding and wrong-side driving across routes.
Prithvi Jonnada, Operations Manager at INAI, explained, “We let the cameras record their daily rounds, fed the footage into an AI system capable of detecting traffic violations, recognising licence plates and automatically forwarded verified cases to Telangana Police’s e-Challan system. This is a mandate from the police department to have a human in the loop thus ensuring the AI acts as an assistant, not a replacement, for human judgment.”
With four dashcams deployed, the system reports an accuracy rate for submissions. The INAI team is expanding the algorithm to include speed detection and road condition monitoring.
Dr. Ganesh Yalla, CEO, iHub-Data, added, “People don’t expect an academic institution to build a complete industrial-grade product that is deployed and generating real impact. We want to change that.”
Discussions are underway with police departments outside Telangana for broader implementation.
Cars24 Increases AI Integration Across Operations
- By MT Bureau
- July 19, 2026
Cars24, a leading online vehicle selling and buying marketplace, has reported that it has processed 1.1 trillion AI (artificial intelligence) tokens during Q1 of FY2026, marking a shift in its business model.
The company stated that AI expenditure now represents 8.88 percent of the company's salary run-rate, with 95 percent of its employees use AI weekly and 89 percent of production code is AI-assisted, contributing to a reported 3x increase in engineer productivity.
Furthermore, for customer operations, AI platforms analysed 9.81 million conversations. Voicebots handled 2.58 million minutes and chatbots processed 550,000 requests.
In terms of inspections, 80 percent of vehicle inspections – totalling 288,000 – were conducted via AI-led systems, reducing the average inspection time from 45 minutes to 26 minutes.
AI-led loan disbursals accounted for 65 percent of the total, amounting to 4,158 disbursals. The company’s Document AI processed 850,000 documents, while its Agentic AI platform executed 5.71 million workflows.
At present, Cars24 operates six in-house platforms supporting 25 use cases, including computer vision, lending and workflow automation. Its imaging platform processes 50,000 vehicle images per month.
Vikram Chopra, Founder & CEO, Cars24, said: "AI is no longer improving isolated workflows, it is becoming the operating system of Cars24. Processing over one trillion AI tokens in a single quarter reflects the scale at which intelligence now powers every part of our business. From customer conversations and vehicle inspections to engineering and operations, we are building one AI that understands context, learns continuously and simplifies every stage of vehicle ownership."
Looking forward, Cars24 plans to develop a unified AI layer that integrates buying, selling, financing and ownership services by utilising its data from the past 11 years.
Tata Elxsi Clocks INR 1.7 Billion Net Profit In Q1 FY2027
- By MT Bureau
- July 15, 2026
Tata Elxsi, a leading design and technology solutions company, has announced its financial results for Q1 FY2027, reporting operating revenue of INR 10.21 billion, up 2.8 percent over the previous quarter and 14.5 percent YoY.
For Q1 FY2027, the company’s EBITDA came at INR 2.16 billion with a margin of 21.2 percent and a profit after tax (PAT) of INR 1.7 billion, up 18.2 percent YoY.
The company’s revenue from the transportation segment grew 13.3 percent YoY, supported by engagements in off-road and aerospace segments. Automotive OEM revenue now accounts for 78 percent of the division's total revenue. The media & communications segment revenue grew 22.2 percent YoY, while healthcare and life sciences clocked 1.7 percent growth QoQ.
Manoj Raghavan, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Elxsi, said, “For the quarter, Tata Elxsi delivered a healthy performance with growth in our two primary verticals, supported by strong deal execution and continued momentum in large strategic engagements. We also crossed a key milestone of reporting operating revenue of more than Rs. 1,000 crores in the current quarter. The performance in the quarter reflects the strength and increasing relevance of our design-led and AI-enabled engineering capabilities in our chosen industries.”
“FY2027 marks a year of future focus for the company, as we prepare and equip ourselves for a world reshaped by AI. We are making targeted investments in specialized talent, AI powered platforms, tools and infrastructure, to pivot to a Domain + AI future. These investments are enhancing customer value creation with tangible outcomes and opening new avenues for growth and positioning us for the year and decade ahead,” he concluded.
- BYD
- DOLPHIN G DM-i
- SHARK
- DENZA
- Formula 1
- Jenson Button
- Stella Li
- BAO 5
- YANGWANG
- U9 Xtreme
- Goodword Festival of Speed
- Stella Li
BYD Group Debuts 8 Models At 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Flash Charging Tech Too
- By MT Bureau
- July 14, 2026
Chinese automotive major BYD Group showcased eight model debuts at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it occupied a 2,016 square metre stand. The display featured vehicles from the BYD, DENZA and YANGWANG brands, with several models participating in the hillclimb event.
At the event, BYD introduced the DOLPHIN G DM-i, a supermini featuring Dual Mode Super Hybrid technology that pairs an electric motor with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. The manufacturer also presented the SHARK pickup, which produces 436PS and accelerates from 0-62mph (0-100 kmph) in 5.7 seconds.
DENZA unveiled the Z sports car, a coupe with 1604PS and a top speed of 217mph (350 kmph), which was presented by Stella Li and 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button. The brand also displayed the BAO 5 SUV, which incorporates DMO (Dual Mode Off-road) technology. Additionally, DENZA demonstrated charging speeds of up to 1,500kW, allowing vehicles to charge from 10-70 percent in five minutes.
YANGWANG exhibited the U9 Xtreme, a production car with a top speed of 308.3mph (496 kmph) and a 1200V powertrain. The brand also displayed the U8L SUV and the U7 saloon.
Stella Li, Executive Vice President, BYD, said, "It's been an exciting privilege to play such a central role at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Our stand has been the focal point for thousands of visitors, who've been able to explore a host of new models – our incredible DENZA Z and DENZA BAO 5, as well as the BYD SHARK and, for the first time in the UK, the DOLPHIN G DM-i. We've really enjoyed meeting car enthusiasts from around the world, and it's been a particular thrill to see our cars, such as the YANGWANG U9X, going up the iconic hillclimb. Goodwood really is a global centrepiece for car culture, and we're delighted to have been able to show how our new-energy technologies are creating advances in sustainable mobility around the world."

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