Known for its bidding-based ride-hailing model, inDrive is rolling out a super app strategy aimed at frontier markets. This expansion moves beyond cabs to deliver daily essentials to its users.
Beginning with grocery deliveries in Kazakhstan, inDrive plans to expand into multiple verticals over the next twelve months across its top markets. These include Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Pakistan, Peru, and Mexico. This strategic shift follows more than 360 million app downloads and 6.5 billion transactions globally. These figures cement its position as the world’s second most-downloaded ride-hailing app behind Uber since 2022.
Andries Smit, chief growth business officer at inDrive, explained that increasing customer frequency leads to longer retention, greater value within the ecosystem, and stronger overall loyalty. The company selected grocery delivery for its first expansion after observing rapid growth in its delivery segment. Over 41 million orders were completed worldwide in 2024, with more than 14 million in the second quarter of 2025 alone, making it one of the fastest-scaling categories in the company’s portfolio.
The Mountain View, California-based company has launched its grocery delivery service in Kazakhstan. It offers over 5,000 products with a promise of delivery within 15 minutes. Early pilots in the Central Asian country yielded a net promoter score of 83%, signaling high customer satisfaction, and an average of five grocery orders per user per month.
Smit explained that inDrive is using a dark store model for grocery deliveries in Kazakhstan. Most items are focused on ready-to-eat meals, with around 10% consisting of fresh products, as part of a strategy to boost customer retention. He added that the model will vary in other regions, where the company is open to partnering with local mom-and-pop stores, especially in markets with a dense network of them. Without sharing specifics, Smit said the company has added 30% more dark stores in the country since August.
When asked why Kazakhstan was chosen as the first market for this super-app move, Smit pointed to a huge uptick in consumers going digital in the country, which is the largest economy in Central Asia. inDrive also has its largest headcount in Kazakhstan, which serves as a central hub for its research and development and operations.
While inDrive did not disclose specific growth metrics for Kazakhstan, a recent report noted the company saw a 44% growth in the country over the past twelve months. The report also valued Kazakhstan’s tech ecosystem at $26 billion, an 18-fold jump since 2019, suggesting a sharp rise in local startup formation, funding, and digital services.
Although Kazakhstan already has grocery delivery apps, inDrive aims to win the market predominantly with affordable pricing, striving to be the Aldi of online groceries. Smit noted issues of access and inequality, where cost-conscious consumers sometimes cannot buy from the right places or purchase the right goods, and inDrive wants to provide that choice.
The success of super apps has been mixed globally. While apps like WeChat and Gojek have found success, others have struggled to gain traction. Smit, who worked with WeChat in a former role, believes that by leveraging his expertise and utilizing AI capabilities, inDrive can make its super-app strategy successful. AI integration would help bring personalization to users and make services accessible to people with disabilities and those with lower literacy.
In November 2023, inDrive announced a venture and merger and acquisition arm to invest up to $100 million over the next few years. Smit shared that about 30% of that fund has already been deployed on the super-app strategy. As part of that venture, the company invested in Pakistan’s grocery startup, Krave Mart, in December. However, there is no concrete timeline for when inDrive’s app will offer grocery deliveries to users in Pakistan.
While its rival Uber has also expanded its service portfolio, Smit said inDrive targets a different customer segment—the cost-conscious consumer that Uber typically does not serve, though there is some overlap in certain regions.
InDrive has also been operating in India, but it has not gained significant traction there. Data shows that inDrive saw a 22.6% decline in downloads year-to-date compared to the same period in 2024. In contrast, competitors like Uber, Ola, and Rapido saw increases. Smit referred to India as a puzzle and stated the company is focusing on key cities and testing different models, including in the freight business.
The company faced early challenges in other markets, like Pakistan, where it later became the leading platform after Uber’s exit. In India, some riders and drivers cited safety concerns and exploitation of the bidding model as reasons for moving away from the app. Smit acknowledged these concerns, stating the company prioritizes safety and customer service and needs to do more to address safety perceptions and educate its community.
Looking ahead, inDrive plans to expand its super-app offering by launching new services tailored to local market needs. These could include financial services, which are already live in markets like Brazil and Mexico where drivers can access small loans through the app. The company is exploring ways to extend this to passengers and potentially to small businesses involved in deliveries.
inDrive also plans to explore a service that enables micro-mobility, allowing consumers to connect with local businesses and public transportation services. Smit said the approach will be city-specific and could involve a bouquet of different services, focusing on verticals close to its core capabilities, and partnering with the right players for services where it lacks experience.