Brands
McDowell’s, DriveU tie up; launch service app
MUMBAI: McDowell’s No.1 Soda has joined hands with DriveU, an app-based start-up, which offers on-demand driver service, to launch a feature within the app called Share, through which friends can commute together. A strong mainstream and digital campaign will be rolled out with celebrity drivers.
The partnership creates first of its kind benchmarks where a consumer brand and a startup come together to provide a need-based consumer offering based on a long-term revenue sharing model. Through this partnership, McDowell’s will provide marketing support and generate demand for DriveU with an ambition of generating half a million downloads and completing one million rides in the first year of association.
United Spirits senior VP marketing Subroto Geed said that the unique association was based on USL’s next generation marketing thinking where there were engaging with the right partners to create a personalised experience. This partnership was a true marketing innovation and that they very excited to be working with a young and edgy start-up, he said.
This innovation was a big move that was expected to dramatically increase DriveU’s user base to meet its revenue targets. DriveU business was expected to grow tenfold over the next year, while operating across India’s top 10 metros, said DriveU CEO Ramprasad Shastry.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
