Ola partners with Apple Music for enhanced passenger experience
Ola, the Indian ride-hailing service, has added Apple Music to its Ola Play platform, as part of the in-cab experience for customers. Sony, Qualcomm and Audio Compass are already available on the platform. Ola passengers interact with an in-car tablet to control the vehicle's air conditioning, music, watch videos and read ebooks. This is Apple's second partnership of this kind, after teaming up with Didi Chuxing, and analysts are speculating whether Apple may develop software for transport firms or carmakers.

Ola, the online transportation network company based in Bangalore, India, has partnered with Apple to provide Apple Music as part of its customers’ in-cab experience, and as a component of its platform called Ola Play. Sony, Qualcomm and Audio Compass are also part of the same platform. When passengers book an Ola ride, they will be able to interact with an in-car tablet to control the vehicle’s air conditioning, music, watch videos and even read ebooks, reports LA Times.

During a news conference, Bhavish Agarwal, CEO of Ola said, “Cars were initially built for the driver, but with ride-sharing, the control needs to be there for the passenger, and Ola Play works along that.”

Since this is Apple’s second such partnership (the first being with Didi, China’s ride-hailing company) some analysts are wondering if Apple has plans to develop software or services for transportation network companies or even auto makers.