Brands
Uber to leverage its platform for VAS
KOLKATA: San Francisco-based taxi aggregator, Uber, is planning to leverage its platform and provide value-added services (VAS) such as courier facilities, food-delivery options or even doorstep delivery of groceries.
In India, Kolkata has become the fastest growing market for taxi-hailing service Uber, after the US, a top official of the company said.
“India has a huge potential for value-added services and that might help the company tap the possibility of such services,” said Uber head expansion – India and the subcontinent Neeraj Singhal.
He, however, declined to confirm the time frame on bringing in such services in the country.
“Kolkata is the fastest market for us globally after America. The volume of business growth is unprecedented for us. It is the most important market for us,” he said, adding that the business in terms of the number of trips has been growing at a phenomenal rate ever since the service was launched here in last September.
“This means that the Kolkata market is growing faster than even London,” he said.
When being asked to comment on the growth from the country, he said that the India market for Uber had been growing by over 40 per cent, and Kolkata market has been doing better than the national average.
Reiterating that it is not merely a transport provider, Singhal further said that there is a need to get the “right kind” of regulatory framework under which it can operate as a technology-based company in India.
“The regulations to govern a taxi company should be very different to govern a technology company… If we can work together (with the government) to get the right sort of regulatory framework to operate as a technology company, then the scope is endless. Fundamentally, if the government restricts us to be a taxi company, then the scope is limited to provide technology,” he added.
Founded in 2009, Uber operates in over 200 cities across the globe.
Brands
Wipro to acquire Alpha Net client contracts in $70.8 million deal
Move aims to boost AI-led services and expand global client portfolio
MUMBAI: Wipro Limited has signed a definitive agreement to acquire select customer contracts from Alpha Net Consulting LLC and its subsidiaries, in a deal valued at up to $70.8 million.
The transaction is expected to be completed by June 30, 2026. The acquisition, structured as a business transfer rather than an equity purchase, will give Wipro access to key client contracts, associated workforce and strategic relationships from the Alpha Net Group. The company said the move will strengthen its AI-powered and consulting-led application services capabilities, opening up new growth opportunities.
The consideration will be paid in cash and includes a deferred earnout component linked to performance milestones. No regulatory approvals are required for the transaction, and it does not fall under related party transactions.
The Alpha Net Group, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Santa Clara, operates across the US, Singapore, India, the UK and the Netherlands, offering enterprise software development, data engineering and managed services. The contracts being acquired generated revenues of $27.9 million in 2023, $34.4 million in 2024 and $37.3 million in 2025.
With this acquisition, Wipro is sharpening its focus on high-value client engagements and AI-led services, signalling a continued push to scale capabilities in a competitive global IT landscape.
