Press Coverage (Print & Online) 

Indian Carpool Portal on Call as Fuel Prices Rise                                                    

Fuel Price Hike Makes Carpools Popular                                                                                     

Concept of Carpooling Getting Popular                                                                                  

Losing cool over fuel hike? Join a carpool                                                                

Pool your car, beat peak-hour rush                                                                                           

Indimoto Launches Site for Carpooling                                                                                             

Going Carpooling 'A new concept started by Indimoto.com....interesting one' 

Carpool Site Launched                                                                                                     

Pool Proof                                                                                                                            

It's Cool to Pool Cars in Metros                                                                                     

Beat the Grind                                                                                                                    

Pooling Pleasure                                                                                                               

Now Carpooling via The Web                                                                                       

Delhi tops list of Car-poolers: Indimoto.com                                                             

Fuel & Fear make Carpool Cool in Mumbai                                                                

For a Carpool Ride Take the Internet Route                                                               

New Portal Seeks to Promote use of Carpool                                                            

Indimoto Launches Site for Carpooling

A carpool or rideshare is an arrangement wherein people share their vehicles with other carpoolers and commute together.

New Delhi, 12th April 2006, Deccan Herald

If you are tired of traffic jams, increasing air pollutions and ever increasing fuel prices and want to do something about it, you can by forming a carpool.

Indimoto has launched Indimoto.com (http://www.indimoto.com), an auto classifieds site which is also India's first carpool matching site. A carpool or rideshare is an arrangement wherein people share their vehicles with other carpoolers and commute together. "The objective behind Indimoto.com was to build an auto classifieds site where users can buy and sell cars and bikes, auto products and services, search for auto events, auto clubs and carpools. Our carpool matching service is the first of its kind in India and through it we wish to enable commuters to easily form carpools and enjoy its benefits while contributing to saving the environment" says Udit Bhandari, founder & CEO Indimoto.com.

According to Udit "Carpools make lot of sense because you save money by sharing fuel costs, vehicle maintenance cost and parking fee, you save the environment by saving fuel and reducing harmful exhaust gases while reducing traffic congestion. By carpooling you also expand your network of friends/contacts". Indimoto.com allows users to search carpool offers and requests in his/her city, and also start ones own carpool by posting a free ad in the carpool section.
"With growing air pollution levels in our metro cities, ma nic traffic jams and increasing burden of fuel prices on commuter's wallets, there are only two alternatives, public transport or carpools. Public transport infrastructure is not yet a comfortable and logical alternative to private transport for many urban commuters and that's where carpools come in. Also carpools generate a sense of community and caring for your environment" says Udit. Carpools are a common phenomenon in the developed world often supported by city and state government for the many advantages they offer. Indimoto.com has taken the initiative in India wants to make it a habit amongst Indian commuters.

For a Carpool Ride, Take the Internet Route

2006-04-13 Ice News (Agencyfaq)

Indimoto has launched Indimoto.com, an auto classifieds site which is also India's first carpool matching site. A carpool or rideshare is an arrangement wherein people share their vehicles with other carpoolers and commute together.

"The objective behind Indimoto.com was to build an auto classifieds site where users can buy and sell cars and bikes, auto products and services, search for auto events, auto clubs and carpools. Our carpool matching service is the first of its kind in India and through it we wish to enable commuters to easily form carpools and enjoy its benefits while contributing to saving the environment" says Udit Bhandari, founder & CEO, Indimoto.com

"With growing air pollution levels in our metro cities, manic traffic jams and increasing burden of fuel prices on commuter's wallets, there are only two alternatives, public transport or carpools. Public transport infrastructure is not yet a comfortable and logical alternative to private transport for many urban commuters and that's where carpools come in. Also carpools generate a sense of community and caring for your environment" adds Udit.

Carpools are a common phenomenon in the developed world often supported by city and state government for the many advantages they offer. Indimoto.com has taken the initiative in India wants to make it a habit among Indian commuters.

Carpool Site Launched

May 2006, Overdrive Magazine

INDIMOTO has launched Indimoto.com (www.indimoto.com) an auto classifieds site which is also India�s first carpool matching site. A carpool or rideshare is an arrangement wherein people share their vehicles with other carpoolers and commute together. �The objective behind Indimoto.com was to build an auto classifieds site where users can buy and sell cars and bikes, auto products and services, search for auto events, auto clubs and carpools. Our carpool matching service is the first of its kind in India and through it we wish to enable commuters to easily form carpools and enjoy its benefits while contributing to saving the environment� says Udit Bhandari, founder & CEO Indimoto.com.

Indian Carpool Portal on Call as Fuel Prices Rise

Wed Jun 7, 2006 12:54 PM IST

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's first carpool Web site aims to get a boost from a rise in fuel prices, hoping this will lure office-goers looking to lighten the burden on their pockets.

"People are beginning to realise the benefits of a carpool. We are just bringing them together," said Udit Bhandari, chief executive officer of www.indimoto.com. said on Wednesday.

Indian authorities raised petrol prices by 9.2 percent and diesel by 6.6 percent on Monday, the third increase in one year. Petrol now costs 53.50 rupees a litre in Mumbai.

Carpooling is still in its infancy in India, but those who operate the portal are trying to steer it ahead, offering free advertisement postings for potential carpoolers. The Web site, which started in April, gets around 60,000 hits a month. But there is no accurate estimate of how many people use a carpool in India. "Rising fuel prices make shared travel more essential for people," Bhandari said.

Sunayana Mathur, a 26-year-old Delhi resident who used the Web site to find a co-traveller, agreed. "It was expensive driving 15-16 km to work from home. So, I found this girl on this site. We travel together and we are now friends." India's fast-expanding passenger vehicles market is expected to nearly double to more than two million units by 2010, feeding a massive demand for fuel and, environmentalists say, worsening air pollution. Most Indian cities choke with pollution, blamed primarily on smoke-spewing public transport and taxis, many of which are over 20 years old. "In the U.S. and Canada, they encourage the use of carpool because of its multiple saving benefits - saves oil, saves money and saves the environment," said Bhandari.

The portal also teaches potential carpoolers some etiquette. "Do not smoke, Do not put on the music loud, Do not use abusive language and Do not drive rash," it said. There is a word of caution too. Carpools bring together strangers. "Always be on your guard."

Fuel Price Hike Makes Carpools Popular

7-06-2006, CNN IBN Live

CARPOOLS IN: CEO of www.indimoto.com says that people are beginning to realise the benefits of a carpool.

Mumbai: India's first carpool website aims to get a boost from a rise in fuel prices, hoping this will lure office-goers looking to lighten the burden on their pockets.

"People are beginning to realise the benefits of a carpool. We are just bringing them together," said Udit Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer of www.indimoto.com said on Wednesday. The Petroleum Ministry raised petrol prices by Rs 4 and diesel by Rs 3 on Monday, the third increase in one year. Petrol now costs Rs 53.50 a litre in Mumbai. Carpooling is still in its infancy in India, but those who operate the portal are trying to steer it ahead, offering free advertisement postings for potential carpoolers. The website, which started in April, gets around 60,000 hits a month. But there is no accurate estimate of how many people use a carpool in India.

"Rising fuel prices make shared travel more essential for people," Bhandari said. Sunayana Mathur, a 26-year-old Delhi resident who used the website to find a co-traveller, agreed. "It was expensive driving 15-16 km to work from home. So, I found this girl on this site. We travel together and we are now friends," she added. India's fast-expanding passenger vehicles market is expected to nearly double to more than two million units by 2010, feeding a massive demand for fuel and, environmentalists say, worsening air pollution.

Most Indian cities choke with pollution, blamed primarily on smoke-spewing public transport and taxis, many of which are over 20-years-old. "In the US and Canada, they encourage the use of carpool because of its multiple saving benefits - saves oil, saves money and saves the environment," said Bhandari. The portal also teaches potential carpoolers some etiquette. "Do not smoke, do not put on the music loud, do not use abusive language and do not drive rash," it said. There is a word of caution too. Carpools bring together strangers - Always be on your guard.

It's Cool to Pool Cars in Metros

Wednesday, June 07, 2006  12:50 IST, DNA

NEW DELHI: In the wake of steep price hike of petrol and diesel, India's first carpool matching website has become a big hit with commuters burdened by high fuel prices.

Indimoto.com, which launched in April 2006, is helping hundreds of commuters in forming carpools across the country.

Most of the carpool ads are being posted by commuters from big cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore where traffic congestion is high and commuters are aware of carpools as a good alternative to private transport.

By forming carpools, commuters can share a vehicle and travel together, thereby saving on fuel and vehicle maintenance costs. A car owner who drove alone to work can share his/her car with one, two or three people traveling on the same route and easily reduce his/her monthly fuel expense by 50-75 per cent with everyone sharing the fuel costs.

On website commuters are able to post their own carpool ads in the carpool section or search for ads according to city, area and pin code thereby getting sharp and accurate results, all for free.

There is also a privacy option where users can hide personal information and manage responses to their carpool ads via the online mailbox itself, this is a useful feature for women who want a carpool but are hesitant of putting their contact information online.

"I used to drive my car 50 km daily to and fro work and was spending Rs 6,000 on petrol every month, it was burning a hole in my pocket. I heard of Indimoto.com's carpool website and was able to match up with two executives who stay close to my home and travel to the same business park, now we share the fuel expense and I pay only Rs 2,000 a month, that's a huge monthly saving for me,'' says Vaibhav, a carpooler from Gurgaon.

Carpools also contribute greatly to environmental preservation since lesser vehicles on the road means less air pollution and traffic congestion. Vehicular emissions are a major cause for global warming and also many pollution-related ailments. 

According to Founder and Indimoto.com CEO Udit Bhandari, ''Carpools are a very sensible alternative to private and public transport and its major benefits include fuel saving, reduction in environmental pollution, decongestion of urban roads and monetary savings for the commuters.''

Also carpools generate a sense of community and caring for your environment. ''Carpools are a common phenomenon in the developed world, often supported by city and state government for the many advantages they offer,'' he added.

The website has taken the initiative in India and is promoting the message 'it's cool to pool'!

New Portal Seeks to Promote Use of Carpool

Published: Gulf Times, Thursday, 8 June, 2006

MUMBAI: India's first carpool website aims to get a boost from a rise in fuel prices, hoping this will lure office-goers looking to lighten the burden on their pockets.

"People are beginning to realise the benefits of a carpool. We are just bringing them together," Udit Bhandari, chief executive officer of www.indimoto.com said yesterday. India raised petrol prices by 9.2% and diesel by 6.6% on Monday, the third increase in one year. Petrol now costs Rs53.50 ($1.17) a litre in Mumbai. Carpooling is still in its infancy in India, but those who operate the portal are trying to steer it ahead, offering free advertisement postings for potential carpoolers. The website, which started in April, gets around 60,000 hits a month. But there is no accurate estimate of how many people use a carpool in India. "Rising fuel prices make shared travel more essential for people," Bhandari said.

Sunayana Mathur, a 26-year-old Delhi resident who used the website to find a co-traveller, agreed. "It was expensive driving 15-16km to work from home. So, I found this girl on this site. We travel together and we are now friends." India�s fast-expanding passenger vehicles market is expected to nearly double to more than 2mn units by 2010, feeding a massive demand for fuel and, environmentalists say, worsening air pollution. Most Indian cities choke with pollution, blamed primarily on smoke-spewing public transport and taxis, many of which are over 20 years old. "In the US and Canada, they encourage the use of carpool because of its multiple saving benefits � saves oil, saves money and saves the environment," said Bhandari.

The portal also teaches potential carpoolers some etiquette. "Do not smoke, Do not put on the music loud, Do not use abusive language and Do not drive rash," it said. There is a word of caution too. Carpools bring together strangers. "Always be on your guard."

 

Going Carpooling

June 2006 BBC Top Gear Magazine

'A new concept started by Indimoto.com....interesting one'

Are you tired of traffic jams, increasing air pollution and ever increasing fuel prices? Do you want to do something about all this?

Now you can by forming a carpool. Indimoto has launched Indimoto.com (www.indimoto.com) an auto classifieds site which is also India�s first carpool matching site. A carpool or rideshare is an arrangement wherein people share their vehicles with other carpoolers and commute together. Welcome back to the 60's and hitchhiking! Jump into a strangers car and start a hot box. However Udit Bhandari, founder & CEO of Indimoto.com says, "Carpools make lot of sense because you save money by sharing fuel costs, vehicle maintenance cost & parking fee, you save the environment by saving fuel and reducing harmful exhaust gases while reducing traffic congestion (But think of the congestion in the car!) By carpooling you also expand your network of friends/contacts� So no more shaadi.com for me because Indimoto.com allows me to search prospective spouses while driving or being driven to work! Who knows, we could even have theme parties! You can start your own carpool by posting a free ad in the carpool section..

Now Carpooling via The Web

Preethi. J, Bangalore , June 16, 2006 Hindu Business Line

"East Tambaram to Teynampet, anybody?" reads the post on Indimoto.com. Others read similarly - "Karol Bagh to Gurgaon" and "Basavanagudi to Victoria Road." In a case of the virtual world helping make the real one better, the Internet has sparked the adoption of carpooling in India.

Indimoto was begun as a Web site for auto sales. With a little bit of tweaking, it has become a site for commuters to post carpool ads according to city, area and pin-code. This site covers four cities - Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune.

In a country with over a million cars, carpooling is set for a drastic uptake. "Carpooling is a well-known practice in Europe and the US but is still nascent in India with most users unaware of the concept," said Mr Udit Bhandari, Founder, Indimoto.

How it works

Main users of carpooling are daily commuters who drive to office alone and are burdened by high fuel prices, driving fatigue or are interested in helping reduce environmental pollution. People who regularly travel by public transport but find it inconvenient, said Mr. Bhandari, can also benefit from a carpool. The willingness to pool is there amongst many but they were limited to people within their immediate circle (friends, office colleagues etc) that they could carpool with. Indimoto.com lets surfers search for neighbors, post ads and start a carpool with whoever they find suitable. The profile of an average carpool user is a 24-35-year-old office goers, who owns cars.

Indian scenario

In India, said Mr Bhandari, the Government is rather unaware of the idea of carpooling and ways to promote it.

In the US, the Government has special lanes for carpoolers, while in Canada the Government sponsors a carpool Web site: carpool.ca informed Mr. Bhandari.

Creating awareness

Indimoto is now in talks with the Petroleum Conservation Research Association, a government body, to have a joint programme for creating awareness about this concept. Carpooling, he said, can save from 50 to 80 per cent of fuel if two to five people carpool.

Around a lakh visitors to this free Web site are now carpooling. For those of you who aren't - hop onto the Internet and get carpooling.

Losing Cool Over Fuel Hike? Join a Carpool

Ripu Daman Singh, Published 17th June' 2006, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.

With fuel prices still weighing heavy on the common man's wallet, carpooling gets a major fillip in the city. In a move certain to gladden the hearts of conservationists and petroleum mandarins alike, more Delhiites than ever before are exploring car pool options for their daily commute. Suddenly, sharing a ride with a stranger no longer seems a bad idea.
And providing a platform to this sentiment in cyberspace is Indimoto.com. "Generally, we get around 60,000 hits a month. But in the past fortnight, the number has grown eight-fold," says indimoto.com CEO Udit Bhandari. "Our users are in the 21-35 age bracket, mostly MNC employees who perceive car pools as an environment-friendly alternative."

While colleagues living in the same neighbourhood have long been piling on to one car for the trek to and fro office, the phenomenon of complete strangers coming together for a shared ride is a relatively new concept in the Capital. But car poolers are confident that the idea will soon catch on, prompted in no small measure by the rising fuel prices.

"We have enquiries not just from carpoolers, but also bikers. Essentially, sharing vehicles is a feasible tool for saving fuel, protecting the environment and decongesting traffic," says Bhandari.

Sometimes, there are unexpected benefits. Says Stuti, a 24-year-old working with an MNC: "I have developed a special bond with my travel buddies. We even party together."

But finding the right "travel buddies" isn't a cakewalk. The prospect of being cooped up in a small space for hours together makes congeniality, tastes, age and gender the deciding factors in choosing carpools. 'Carpool wanted' ads thus read: "Only decent ones and non-smokers allowed. Girls preferred".

"It's not just about sharing costs," points out the Pitampura-based Anumeha, who works as a company secretary with an MNC in Gurgaon. "It's also about making conversation with your co-passenger in those tiring hours spent on the road. And I insist on female company because of the safety factor."

Sometimes, the route is the decider. Mukesh, for instance, has been hunting for a carpool from Dwarka to Noida for two months now, but hasn't hit on suitable travel partners yet. "Maybe it's the route people may not consider it the best one to take on with strangers," he says. "At the moment, I'm spending Rs 4,000-5,000 on fuel for my car every month. A carpool would be a great way to economise."

Ask Akshat. Till he joined a carpool, he ran up a monthly fuel bill of Rs 7,500 travelling between Gurgaon and Okhla in a month. "Being a member of a carpool means sacrificing one's independence completely," he says. "On the other hand, I spend just Rs 2,500 on fuel- and car-costs every month. That's a major saving in these days of high fuel prices, and the main reason why I carpool."

Reason enough to site that the number of ads put up on the carpooling sites are increasing by the second. But the terms and conditions still remain a hindrance. "Since anyone is free to give an ad, it is imperative to meet the person before agreeing to ply. Ads such as anyone interested to travel in the luxury of an a/c sedan, or contact if comfort is more important to you than money, could be hoax," concludes Anumeha.

So carpool, still an infant in the Capital, is beginning to crawl with a few hiccups.

Beat the Grind

7th August 2006, Preethi J, Hindu Business Line

Suffering from driver's fatigue, and burdened by high fuel prices? Try carpooling.

It's the same old drag everyday "drive, work and drive back" is the refrain from commuters across clogged cities. Driving 'be it 5 km or 20' is one that takes a toll on most people, especially car owners. If you find yourself suffering from driver's fatigue, and are burdened by high fuel prices, then carpooling may be the right choice.

In a country with over a million cars, carpooling is set for a drastic uptake. The main users of carpooling are daily commuters who drive to office alone and are burdened by high fuel prices, driving fatigue or are interested in helping reduce environmental pollution. People who regularly travel by public transport but find it inconvenient, says Udit Bhandari, Founder, Indimoto.com, can also benefit from a carpool. Indimoto.com lets surfers search for neighbours, post ads and start a carpool with whoever they find suitable. Around a lakh visitors to this free Web site are now carpooling.

Interesting insights

The profile of an average carpool user is a 24-35 year-old-office goer, who owns a car. Here are some more statistics the firm released on carpooling in India. This is the first survey undertaken in India, and 524 visitors to the Web site were sent an e-mail questionnaire. The results it threw up showcase interesting facts about awareness levels of car-pooling across various metros. Citizens of Delhi and the NCR showed maximum awareness and adoption of car-pooling. Mumbai ranked second and Bangaloreans stood third, followed by Hyderabad. Surprisingly, elderly folk have not taken to the concept as quickly as the youth.

According to the survey, a majority of the car-poolers (81per cent) are from the private sector, while a meagre 7 per cent are employed as government employees and professionals, 3 per cent are students and only 2 per cent are entrepreneurs. The survey also reported that 44 per cent of car-poolers belong to the high-income group and earn more than Rs 50,000 per month (definitely the private sector IT employees), while 40 per cent earn between Rs 25,000-50000, 14 per cent between Rs 10,000-25,000 and only 2 per cent earn less than Rs 10,000.

Carpooling, according to Bhandari, can save from 50 to 80 per cent of fuel if two to five people carpool. Fuel plus commuting expenses, while carpooling, vary between Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000. And besides the fuel economy, carpooling can also help reduce traffic, pollution and make commuting more fun. In fact, the activity can be useful for single folks who get their dose of social-interaction for the day.

According to the report by Indimoto, 13 per cent of carpoolers thought it was a good way to meet new people. If that doesn't sell the concept, what will?
 

Fuel & Fear Make Carpool Cool in Mumbai

SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI, 11th August, The Telegraph, Calcutta

India is waking up to a new way of commuting to beat soaring fuel prices, cramped public transport and, of late, terrorist strikes, the Carpool.

A click of the mouse can now ensure the transition to a swish four-wheeler and sites such as www.indiaeyewitness.com, www. carpoolworld.com, www.indimoto.com and www.koolpool.com are registering up to 2,000 hits a day from commuters across the country looking for carpool options to commute to and from work.

A survey by Indimoto says 85 per cent of carpool users are in the age group of 26 to 45 and have an average monthly income of around Rs 50,000.

Last month's serial blasts, which hit Mumbai's local railway network, have made carpools even more popular.
But it is not easy to find a group that takes the same route at the same time and that is where the websites come good.
Rising fuel prices make shared travel essential. It saves oil, money and the environment. It helps make new friends. It is also safer, said Suhasini Rao, who works with ICICI Bank.

Pool Proof

Business Standard Motoring, May 2006

Delhi entrepreneur Udit Bhandari has started a unique website called Indimoto.com. The website basically hosts classifieds advertisements and also serves as India's 1st car pool website. The classifieds are meant for users to post cars, motorcycles, auto products, services, auto clubs and auto events. The website is also aimed at educating commuters about car pools and help locate one in their locality. Why not try it out?

Pooling Pleasure

Vandana Kalra, Delhi Newsline, New Delhi, September 5, 2006

Bumper-to-bumper traffic in 40 degrees and exorbitant petrol costs. Driving in Delhi amid all its chaos is no fun at all. With an erratic public transport system that’s totally unreliable, Delhiites are turning to a promising alternative: the carpool, which has recently become quite organized.

Pool your car, beat peak-hour rush

 By Siddhartha D. Kashyap /Times News Network

 Pune: Wanna share a ride to office, say from Aundh to Mundhwa or from Kalyaninagar to Hinjewadi? Although in a nascent stage, carpooling, wherein commuters travelling on the same route or to the same destination share a vehicle, is beginning to gain acceptance in the city.
Sulojana Singh, a 27-year-old IT professional working in Hinjewadi, said although she had to wait a month-and-a-half for a response, she’s happy that she finally got a “friendly male companion” to travel from Wanowrie. “We not only share the cost of travel, it is so much convenient also,” she told TOI.
Systems integrator Anant Bokkil, who has his office at Karvenagar, said he got two others travelling on the same route from Vimannagar.

Sagar Mhaskar, a working professional who travels from Baner road to Kalyaninagar daily, said there hasn’t been any response to his listing at the online site so far. “I assume that there’s still not much awareness about ride-sharing in Pune as yet,” he told TOI, adding that the car-pool arrangement worked wonders in Dubai, where he lived before coming to the city. “Moreover, in India we don’t trust strangers (and its better to be safe),” Sagar said.

Udit Bhandari, CEO of Indimoto, one of the few online portals, that initiated the carpool service across the country early this year, pointed out that the system has many advantages. Leave aside saving your costs of travel, effective car-pooling helps lessen vehicular traffic and pollution, apart from increasing social interaction. According to Bhandari, on an average, a car driven for 100 km in the city, consumes 10 litres of petrol, which costs about Rs 530 and releases 23 kilo of carbon (CO2) — the biggest cause of global warming. “In the case of carpools, the more people you share the ride with, the lesser is the cost per commuter and they also help in cutting down on the carbon footprint (the amount of carbon released by each individual),” he explained. According to Bhandari, the idea behind starting this free online initiative is to create awareness about car-pooling and its benefits for the environment and the commuter.
“The response has been encouraging in metros, particularly Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore,” he said, pointing out that there have been some listings in Pune also, of late. Site on car-pooling: www.indimoto.com

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