Made in India 'Uber lite' rolls out for Android users

To encourage more people to join its platform, global online cab service Uber on Tuesday launched "Uber lite" -- a lighter version of the main rider app that has been built and designed in India.

"Uber lite" will pilot first for Android users in Jaipur, Hyderabad and Delhi and roll out across the country this summer before its launch in other countries.

"Uber lite" is less than 5MB to download and has a 300-millisecond response time even in low-connectivity areas and works on 99 per cent of Android devices, the company said in a statement.

"We have over 75 million monthly active riders, which is a tiny fraction of the world's population. With such a huge growth opportunity outside of the US, we are committed to building for the next hundreds of millions of riders," said Manik Gupta, Vice President Product, VP and Head of Product, Uber. 

The lighter app was launched during "Uber's Tech Day 2.0" here in the presence of Peter Deng, Head of Rider Product, Uber.

"After extensive research with our riders, it was obvious we couldn't just make a smaller copy of Uber. We needed to reimagine the experience for India and key markets around the world. The result is Uber lite," said Deng.

The app retains the core functionality of the rider app, has in-app support and includes critical safety features, such as an emergency button and the ability to share your trip with friends and family.

"Uber lite" guides users through the request experience by detecting their current location. 

If it can't detect your location because of GPS or network issues, it guides you to choose popular landmarks nearby.

Additionally, the app stores the city's top places so that even when you are offline, no network is needed for them to appear. 

"To keep the app light and fast, maps in Uber lite are not loaded by default, but are available with a tap when you need them," said the company.