Uber partners with Shell to support their drivers with a range of benefits in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Uber today announced a partnership with Shell, one of India’s most diversified global energy companies, to provide exclusive benefits across fuel, lubricants, coolants, car care products and beverages for Uber drivers at 65 Shell stations across Karnataka.

In continuation of its efforts to support the wellbeing of drivers, those who enrol in the benefits scheme will get Shell’s new QR-code based virtual fuel card within seconds, allowing them to easily pay for fuel and access special rebates at a network of 65 sites. In addition, once activated, the first 10,000 drivers in the State can also avail pre-loaded and a one-time amount of INR 200, which can be used towards making purchases at any of the city based Shell stations in Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli, Mangalore, Belgaum, Dharwad, and Tumkur.

This will enable savings of upto INR 1,000 to 1,500 per month per driver and will further help drivers to enhance their average monthly net savings by 10%-20%. Apart from Karnataka, the Uber and Shell partnership will also extend support to drivers from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Shell’s Fleet Solutions business in India gives drivers access to a range of benefits, from consolidating payments and invoices through fuel cards to telematics. Telematics provide actionable insights through a combination of vehicle and fueling data, to improve operations, security and efficiency.

Speaking about the partnership, Abhilekh Kumar, Head, Business Development, Uber India & South Asia, said, “Drivers are integral to our business, and supporting them during the pandemic is mission critical. In view of the impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of drivers, we’re sure our partnership with Shell, which provides them several discounted products and services, will provide them further relief. Our drivers have always gone the extra mile for us and this partnership acknowledges that they continue to remain at the heart of our business.’’

Speaking about the partnership, Deepti Behl, National Head, Shell Fleet Solutions for India said, “We are delighted to welcome Uber's drivers as new customers of our Fleet Solutions programme in India. Ride-hailing is an important area of growth for India’s mobility market and COVID-19 has accelerated digitalisation and its value amongst our customers. Our partnership with Uber not only gives their drivers ease of fuel payment but access to a wide range of products and services at our retail stations like ready-to-eat meals and a safe place to refresh themselves during a day on the road. Shell’s new QR-code based virtual card, developed during the lockdown, caters to the changing customer needs to provide the added benefit of convenience and safety. This partnership will help Uber’s driver partners realize further efficiencies in their operations”

Over the past few years, Uber has taken multiple initiatives to support drivers, including - a first-of-its-kind comprehensive platform, Uber Care, through which thousands of drivers received easy access to benefits including life insurance, free online medical consultations and micro-loans.

Under Uber Care, micro-loans of INR 500 million have been facilitated to date to driver partners, and over 120,000 driver partners have signed up with partner DocsApp for free medical consultations.

More recently, the Uber Care Driver Fund disbursed grants to approximately 100,000 drivers. Uber is also providing financial assistance to those drivers who’ve either been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been placed in quarantine by health officials.

About Uber

Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 15 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

About Shell

Shell is one of the most diversified international energy company in India with over 9500 employees and presence across upstream, integrated gas, downstream, renewable energy, and deep capabilities in R&D, digitalization, and business operations. With a retail presence across six states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assam Shell is expanding its network of fuel stations across the country. It has the entire Lubricants end-to-end value chain in India, from conceptualization and development, to production and distribution. Serving 50000 consumers through a robust network of 200+ distributors across B2C and B2B lines of Sales. The company also fully owns and operates an LNG re-gasification terminal at Hazira. With a focus on digitization and future ready sustainable solutions, the company is nurturing a vibrant ecosystem in India to accelerate energy innovations with Shell E⁴ for start-ups, Shell Eco-marathon and investments in new energy companies like Husk Power, d.light, Orb Energy and Cleantech Solar. Shell also remains committed to making positive contributions to the communities in which it operates through programmes like NXplorers, Access to Energy and Road Safety across India.

https://www.shell.in/business-customers/fleet-solutions.html