After its 2017 exit, the French carpooling giant has staged an unlikely comeback – with India now its largest market worldwide, according to TechCrunch.
When BlaBlaCar first entered India in 2015, it promised to revolutionize intercity travel through shared rides and smart technology. But by 2017, the company had shuttered its India office, unable to keep pace with local heavyweights like Uber and Ola. What seemed like a quiet retreat then has today become one of the most remarkable comeback stories in India’s mobility landscape.
According to TechCrunch, India is now BlaBlaCar’s largest global market, projected to reach 20 million passengers in 2025 – a 50% jump from last year – surpassing even Brazil and the company’s home country, France.
Surprisingly, this revival hasn’t been driven by aggressive marketing or splashy campaigns. Instead, it’s the result of word of mouth, rising digital payments, and better highway connectivity linking smaller towns and Tier-2 cities. From just 4.3 million users in 2022, BlaBlaCar’s Indian community now includes 1.1 million monthly active users, peaking at 1.5 million in August 2025.
With trains overbooked, buses overcrowded, and cab fares surging, carpooling has emerged as a cost-effective, community-driven alternative. About 70% of BlaBlaCar’s users are aged 18–34, representing a generation that values access and sharing over ownership.
While the company hasn’t begun monetizing in India, its ecosystem is thriving – drivers earned around ₹713 million ($8 million) collectively in August alone. BlaBlaCar’s CEO Nicolas Brusson notes that many riders now prefer carpools over flights or trains, describing them as “pleasant, social, and efficient.”
For BlaBlaCar, India’s resurgence has shifted its global focus eastward. Once seen as a challenging market, the country is now the beating heart of BlaBlaCar’s expansion, proving that sometimes, the best journeys are the ones that take a few detours.
