Ola Cabs, India’s leading ridesharing platform, has roped in Hemant Bakshi as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ola Mobility, as announced on January 25, 2024.  

Hemant, who recently served as the Executive Vice President for Unilever Marketplace and Chairman at Unilever Indonesia, will be assuming responsibilities from Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Ola Cabs. Bhavish is reportedly stepping down from the role to take the helm of Krutim, his newly established AI Unicorn in India.

Announcing Hemant’s leadership for Ola Mobility’s continuous growth, Founder Bhavish posted on X.com, “In our next phase of growth, our vision is to serve one billion Indians and we are all set to reimagine and redefine mobility! 

The potential for us to shape the future is immense. We believe that premiumisation through choices, electrification  for affordability and convenience while leveraging technology will be the key pillars that will transform mobility in India. @hemant2008”

On January 26, Ola announced the launch of more than 10,000 e-bikes in Delhi and Hyderabad, and Ola Mobility CEO Hemant said, “With our focus on innovation and accessibility, our e-Bike taxi initiative will also serve as a multi-work opportunity for gig-economy workers on the Ola platform and pave the way for the future of commerce.”

In his new role, Hemant brings over 30 years of experience, having served Unilever in various leadership roles across India, Singapore, and Indonesia. He began his career with Hindustan Unilever Ltd and was appointed as Executive Director of Sales and Customer Development in 2008. He returned to India to join the ride-hailing platform.

On the academic front, Hemant holds an MBA degree from IIM Ahmedabad and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay.