Finnish start-up eyes Indian ride-hailing market
Split, a Finnish ride-sharing start-up, is planning to enter India and give competition to app-based cab-hailing businesses such as Uber and Ola in the country. The firm, which connects riders going in the same direction with the use of an app, already operates in Washington DC, but has big plans in India. "Our priority is to stabilise our operations in DC and then look at growth markets like India," said Teemu Sihvola, head of concept development at Split, which also owns technology used by on-demand bus ride providers in Helsinki. 
HELSINKI: Split, a ride-sharing Finnish startup with operations in Washington DC, is aiming to grab a share of the fiercely-competitive app-based cab-hailing business in India dominated by Uber and Ola Split connects riders going in the same direction with the use of an app, helping them share cab and save money.A rider sees the price before booking and has to walk a bit to a pick-up location to hop in the waiting shared cab. Passengers aren't exactly picked up or dropped off at their homes or offices but to spots easily covered by walking in order to save time and inconvenience to co-passengers."Our priority is to stabilise our operations in DC and then look at growth markets like India," said Teemu Sihvola, head of concept development at Split, which also owns technology used by on-demand bus ride provider in Helsinki, Finland When it enters India, in a year or so, Split will be up against the well-funded and rapidly-expanding competitors ike Uber and Ola, which have changed he taxi-hailing game in the country by offering better prices and convenience o customers and superior bargain to drivers."We will be better than Uber," Sihvola said, referring to how the shared-services would slash cost for customers and help reduce the number of cars on he road, curbing traffic jams and air pollution hurting Indian cities.Split is among the young breed of cleantech startups in Finland hoping to build a sustainable future and a quick global footprint.At the Global Cleantech Summit in Helsinki last week, Split and others such as Linkker Virta and Eneron showcased their products and services, including electric bus, charging stations and smart street lighting solu ions they intend to take abroad to win nternational markets.A struggling economy, small popula ion and limited domestic market prospects have prompted Finland to encourage and fund young entrepreneurs o start new ventures especially in the emerging cleantech sector.(The author was at The Global Cleantech Summit in Helsinki at the invite of the government of Finland)