MapmyIndia has challenged ANI Technologies, Ola's parent company, regarding their claim of creating a navigational map of India, dismissing it as a "gimmick."
MapmyIndia CEO and Executive Director Rohan Verma expressed doubts about Ola's assertion that the map was provided by Geospoc Pvt Ltd
MapmyIndia has challenged ANI Technologies, Ola's parent company, regarding their claim of creating a navigational map of India, dismissing it as a "gimmick."
The company's CEO and executive director Rohan Verma expressed doubts about Ola's assertion that the map was provided by Geospoc Pvt Limited, a start-up acquired by ANI Technologies. In its RHP, Ola Electric had mentioned that its maps are provided by Geospoc Pvt Ltd.
Referring to Ola Maps, Verma told PTI that people should be wary of “these gimmicky, Fly By Night products”.
Verma reportedly said, "One can and should see Geospoc’s bona fides and investments, or actually the lack of them, whether before or after the acquisition by Ola, and then add on the context that Ola Electric licensed Mapmyindia APIs and SDKs." He also raised doubts about the truthfulness and quality of Ola's claims regarding Ola Maps, questioning their accuracy and legitimacy.
The issue stemmed after MapmyIndia sent a legal notice to Ola and alleged data infringement.
MapmyIndia Issues Legal Notice To Ola
On July 23, MapmyIndia sent a legal notice to Ola, accusing them of copying and reverse-engineering their licensed data and technology. CE Info Systems, MapmyIndia's parent company, claimed Ola duplicated their API (application programming interface) and SDKs (software development kit) to create Ola Maps. An API helps two software's communicate with each other. An SDK comprise a set of tools that helps one build a software.
The company claimed that Ola Electric copied their exclusive data for unjust commercial gains and illegal purposes. Additionally, they stated that Ola's claim of developing API and map data solely through open sources is factually incorrect and untenable.
In June 2021, an agreement was signed between Ola and MapmyIndia which indicated that Ola could use the APIs and SDKs of MapmyIndia for navigation purpose.
The notice sent to Ola reportedly said, “By indulging in such unscrupulous and illegal activities, you have acted in blatant defiance of the terms and conditions of the agreement and have further infringed the copyright vested exclusively in our client pertaining to the source code.”
Verma told PTI that it’s not possible for anyone to suddenly claim they’ve created maps without the proper experience and credentials. Let alone for someone who is relying on another company’s map data, APIs, and SDKs for years, he added.
Ola Refutes Allegations, Calls Them False
Ola has called the allegations as false and misleading. A company spokesperson reportedly said, “We would like to state unequivocally that these allegations are false, malicious and misleading.”
The spokesperson further added that Ola Electric stands by the integrity of its business practices.
Ola Maps was launched in June this year. Announcing the launch on X (formerly Twitter), Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal mentioned that they have fully exited Google Maps. The company used to pay Rs100 crore a year on Google Maps, now with the in-house Ola maps, their expense would be reduced to zero, added Aggarwal.
Additionally, to attract consumers, Aggarwal wrote in a blog post that users who commit to a three year plan will get two years free. Interestingly, in August this year, Google announced that it is reducing API prices in Google maps by 70 per cent for developers in India.
In response to this, Aggarwal wrote in a blog post on July 18, “For larger volumes, despite recent price adjustments by Google, we are offering prices which are 50% of Google Maps reduced rates, ensuring exceptional value for our users.” Aggarwal added that the company has introduced a new pricing plan that will let developers make up to 5 million API calls per month for free.
Ola’s Tech Nationalism
Agarwal has time and again talked about the importance of developing homegrown apps and not rely on western platforms. In a blog post, he wrote that for years, global big tech giants have viewed India primarily as a market to tap.
“They've imposed high costs on our developers, collected our data, and often overlooked our digital sovereignty,” he added.
He pointed out that western tech companies are often out of touch with local realities, underscoring the need for India to have its own tech leaders. "India's tech talent, our innovative spirit, and our deep understanding of emerging markets give us an edge that no Silicon Valley import can match," Aggarwal wrote in a blog post.
The company recently ended its ties with Microsoft Azure and shifted its load to homegrown Krutrim AI. Co-founded by Aggarwal in December 2023, Krutrim AI is an AI start-up which became a unicorn this year.