BluSmart will be missed

19thApril'25

I remember my mom visiting me last year – I could not pick her up from the airport but booking a BluSmart made up for the guilt. Later, we somehow ended up with the same driver for another ride – he was delighted seeing my mom again.

Another time, a female friend and I were out late in Gurgaon. Her mom was quite scared for her daughter travelling from Gurgaon to Delhi late at night. It was only when she was assured that we had a BluSmart booked that she felt relieved. Earning the trust of a concerned mother might just be the highest praise a brand can ever receive.

I am sure all of us have similar experiences to share about the firm. There are multiple things that BluSmart solved for in mobility – zero cancellation, clean cabs, no surge pricing etc. But perhaps their biggest “competitive advantage” of all were their drivers. Always polite, respectful and it felt like they genuinely cared – a very rare feeling when dealing with most consumer firms. I am dejected for these 10,000+ drivers who have suddenly found themselves jobless.

I would argue that BluSmart might be one of the few firms where the “brand indifferent value conscious” Indian consumer was willing to forego their principles and pay more for comfort and safety. With Vistara and Blusmart now out of the picture, it’s hard to find homegrown companies that are truly customer obsessed. I see founders quoting Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s values all the time – but somehow almost everyone cuts corners when it comes to delivering a complete customer obsessed experience.