Summary

Bhavish Aggarwal was born on August 28, 1985 in Ludhiana, Punjab. Bhavish is the co-founder and CEO of Ola Cabs and founder of Ola Electric and Ola Krutrim, a large language model artificial intelligence. He completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from IIT Bombay in 2008.

Personal Information

Achievements and Major Timelines

• 2007: Bhavish started his career with Microsoft Research India as a research intern and later an assistant researcher.
• 2010: He co-founded Ola Cabs, an app-based cab service in India, with Ankit Bhati.
• 2015: He acquired rival TaxiForSure for $200mn, consolidating Ola's market position.
• 2017: He launched Ola Electric, an electric vehicle manufacturer that designs and manufactures electric two-wheelers.
• 2024: Ola Electric launched its IPO and raised Rs. 5,500cr.
• 2025: He unveiled plans to open 4,000 stores nationwide to expand Ola Electric's retail presence.

Challenges and Controversies

Bhavish Aggarwal's journey has not been without challenges. In May 2020, Ola Cabs announced a layoff of around 1,400 employees due to the economic repercussions of Covid-19. In April 2022, Ola sent out an internal email to its employees to announce that Bhavish would be stepping down from day-to-day operations of Ola Cabs to focus on the future of Ola Electric.

In 2022, he was criticised for creating a toxic work environment. His aggressive behaviour has allegedly led to a string of high-profile exits, including the CEO of Ola Cars, CFO of Ola Cab and the CMO of Ola Electric.

Ola Electric has faced mounting consumer grievances related to poor service, delayed deliveries and product issues, prompting a show cause notice from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

Meanwhile, a public spat with comedian Kunal Kamra—who criticised Ola’s service—drew widespread attention, to which CEO Bhavish Aggarwal responded controversially.

Philanthropy and Personal Life

Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Bhavish is committed to promoting gender diversity in the workforce. He established an all-women-run factory to empower women in manufacturing and technology sectors. He is also an advocate for adopting artificial intelligence in India, emphasising its potential to boost productivity without significant job losses.

In 2014, Bhavish married Rajalakshmi Aggarwal in 2014 whom he met while studying at IIT Bombay. Rajalakshmi worked as an analyst and marketing manager at Ernst & Young. In 2016, Rajalakshmi joined the Ola Foundation to work on the company’s philanthropic wing.