inDrive Bets on 'Super App' Strategy With Ads, Grocery Delivery Push

Ride-hailing platform inDrive will roll out in-app advertising across its top 20 markets and expand into grocery delivery in Pakistan, as it looks to diversify revenue and reduce its dependence on ride commissions, TechCrunch reported. The Mountain View–headquartered company said the moves are central to its long-term “super-app” strategy, aimed at increasing user engagement and unlocking higher-margin income streams.

Focus on Advertisement

The company has begun scaling advertising placements inside the app in markets including Mexico, Colombia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Egypt and Morocco, following pilot tests conducted after mid-2025 that generated hundreds of millions of impressions.

inDrive plans to focus on digital, in-app formats through 2026, targeting high-attention moments such as the wait time after a ride is booked and the passenger’s en-route journey. Chief growth business officer Andries Smit said early trials attracted strong interest from global advertisers, with physical formats such as in-car or on-vehicle ads deferred due to operational complexity.

Grocery Delivery in Pakistan

Alongside advertising, inDrive is launching grocery delivery in Pakistan, starting with Karachi, through a partnership with local dark-store operator Krave Mart. The service will offer roughly 7,500 stock-keeping units across fresh produce, meat, dairy, snacks and household essentials, with delivery times of around 20–30 minutes during the pilot phase. To drive adoption, inDrive will initially waive service fees and offer free delivery on orders above PKR 499. Expansion to Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi is planned after the Karachi rollout.

The twin initiatives reflect a wider trend among mobility platforms facing margin pressure, as companies look to layer higher-frequency services such as advertising and commerce on top of ride-hailing. inDrive said rides, which once accounted for about 95% of revenue, now contribute closer to 85% as newer verticals begin to scale.

Pakistan has emerged as a key focus market for the company. inDrive reported that ride volumes in the country grew nearly 40% year-on-year in 2025, while courier deliveries rose 67% in the first half of the year. The company operates in more than 20 Pakistani cities and has deployed at least half of its previously announced $100 million multi-year investment in the country, despite muted overall venture funding activity there.

Strategic Rationale

With operations in more than 1,000 cities across 48 countries and over 360 million app downloads, inDrive is betting that its existing scale can support advertising and quick-commerce without sharply increasing customer acquisition costs. The strategy, however, brings execution risks, including building robust ad measurement and brand-safety systems, managing grocery logistics and navigating regulatory and political uncertainty in emerging markets.

If successful, the expansion into ads and groceries could materially improve margins and deepen user engagement, accelerating inDrive’s evolution from a ride-hailing app into a broader consumer services platform.