MUMBAI: India is Uber’s most crucial market in Asia! Earlier this year, Uber sold its business in Southeast Asia to local rival Grab.

Now, to tap the consumers in India and other ‘developing' nations, the ride-sharing app has announced the launch of a lighter version of its app, Uber Lite. Lite will be a simple version of the rider app that saves space, works on any network. Currently, it is only compatible with Android phones, which the majority of the app’s target audience uses.

The app will feature only entry-level specifications and low internet speeds. 

Uber Lite is launching first in India, but the company will roll it out in other emerging markets in the future.The app will be initially available in Delhi, Jaipur, and Hyderabad. 

Uber Lite is less than 5MB to download, as compared to the regular Uber app’s 181.4MB size and will come with a 300-millisecond response time, where the booking process is fast even in low connectivity.

Uber Lite will also have in-built existing features like in-app support and the ability to share  trip with friends and family.

Uber Lite was designed to make booking rides easier and quicker in spotty connectivity and slower than average internet speeds, on basic Android phones, and for people with limited data plans. Uber Lite guides users through the request experience by detecting their current location, so minimal typing is required. If it can’t detect your location because of GPS or network issues, it will surface popular pickup points nearby from you to choose from.

To keep the app light and fast, maps in Uber Lite are optional, but available with just a tap if you want them. Going forward Uber will also include the option to request a ride even when offline. 

The lite app looks like a great add-on for users who still have a smartphone with 2G or slow speed connections. In January this year, Ola launched its Lite app that takes only 1MB of download space and offers a stripped down version of its designs and features.