Will Uber bring helicopter service to India also?

The country holds one of the biggest opportunities for Uber as more Indians start using smartphones

Uber Technologies Inc is working with Airbus Group SE to provide on-demand helicopter services, Uber co-founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick said on Tuesday.

"The point is if you can push a button and can get a ride, then why not push a button and get a helicopter," Kalanick said talking to students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai.

Kalnick said the service will be tested but did not give any further details.

"Yeah it's more for fun," he said.

The Wall Street Journal had first reported deal citing the European plane maker’s chief executive on Sunday.

Kalanick discussed tips on dealing with irate investors and raising funds with a group of budding entrepreneurs.

Kalanick said India, where Uber last year committed to investing $1 billion, holds one of the biggest opportunities for the company as more Indians start using smartphones.

San Francisco-based Uber now has a 40 per cent share in the Indian market compared to 4 per cent same time last year, Kalanick said.

Uber competes with Alibaba-backed taxi company Ola in India.

Kalanick's Mumbai visit comes days after he held a similar session at a government organised conference in New Delhi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a slew of startup-friendly policies including a $1.5 billion investment fund.

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Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters