The Karnataka State Transport Authority has granted Bengaluru-based mobility platform Rapido a five-year licence to operate cab services in the state, valid until August 2031. The licence was issued to Rapido’s parent company, Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, under the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016, formalising its cab operations across Karnataka.
This approval replaces the previous ad hoc regulatory approach and applies only to Rapido's cab services, excluding its bike-taxi business, which still faces regulatory challenges in the state. Rapido operates cab services in 21 cities including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi-Dharwad. The company reports over 3.14 lakh drivers and 2.04 crore customers registered in Karnataka, with more than 69 lakh customers having used the app for at least one cab ride, according to medianama.com.
Rapido co-founder Pavan Guntupalli said Karnataka is the company’s home state and a key market, affirming the company’s commitment to comply with state regulations. The licence formalises Rapido’s presence in a competitive mobility market in Karnataka, where it competes with other aggregators operating under state rules. The ongoing regulatory issues around the bike-taxi segment highlight the differentiated regulatory treatment within the state's transport sector.
Rapido’s licence covers operations in major Karnataka cities and remains valid until August 2031, providing the company a regulatory framework to expand cab services. The bike-taxi service continues to operate without formal approval, pending resolution of regulatory challenges, according to medianama.com.