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Destination unknown: Zoomcar’s many turns

From pioneering the weekend car rental space, Zoomcar’s constant pivoting has ensured the company's core product hasn’t gotten very far

23/07/19

Olina Banerji

Zoomcar single-handedly created the self-drive rental car market in India. It aimed to be India’s Zipcar

But regulatory fuzziness and an asset-heavy operational model eclipsed Zoomcar’s desire to scale quickly

It triggered a series of pivots. Zoomcar’s core product changed several times, but couldn’t strike a chord with the Indian consumer

Zoomcar’s hopes are riding on ZAP, its subscription platform, to generate demand for its brand of ownership. But they’re not alone

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It’s 8.45 PM. The phone connection is patchy. Zoomcar CEO Greg Moran’s voice crackles irritably through the static. But despite the disturbance, his assertion is crystal clear.  “Ownership is a dead model in India. All the metrics point to the fact,” he states. It isn’t just cars, adds Moran. “It’s two-wheelers and bicycles, too. Modern…

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