Pratham Solanki

How We Built Shared Auto for Everyday India

Shared rides in India are often unpredictable. What if we could make them feel safe, seamless, and fair?

Let's start with a story

We were speaking to a college student in Vijayawada. She took shared autos every day from her PG to her coaching center—no app, no booking. She’d wait at the junction and wave one down.

— Hmm… depends. Sometimes 2 minutes, sometimes 20.

She laughs.

₹15, ₹20, ₹25… depends on the driver, their mood, the weather…

— Not really. But I don’t argue. I’m usually running late.

— Like book an auto? I use Rapido Bike sometimes. But shared auto?

— Will it take longer? The shared ones usually wait to fill up.

— Do you usually get one quickly?

— And the fare?

— So, no fixed price?

We asked if she’d try using an app for the same ride.

— Yeah, we’re launching that. Fixed price, less wait, same route.
She paused.

— Ours won’t.

This tiny moment stayed with us.
She wasn’t asking for more features.
Just something she already knew—
but more dependable, less effort.

This wasn’t about inventing something new.
It was about reimagining something already working,
just without the usual uncertainty

Results

Launched in Lucknow & Vijayawada for only 1 route

20%

of Shared Auto users tried another Rapido service within 2 weeks

80%

of those used Rapido Bike at least once

500+ rides / day

orders stabilised after post-launch hype settled by Apr 3

By acquiring users through a familiar shared format, we reduced the friction
of trying the Rapido platform — and brought down our blended CAC.

So, how did we do it?

First, some context

Video from youtube by Chiranjibi Tandia to show the current offline shared auto market

Shared Auto is a new category in India’s ride-hailing space

Built by Rapido, India's No.1 App

India’s commuters juggle between chaos and cost.

For millions, daily travel means choosing between:
- Expensive solo autos that are convenient but costly
- Or street-side share autos — cheaper, but unpredictable, crowded, and chaotic

We built it to give users the best of both worlds:

The comfort of an auto

With fixed, affordable fares

And less waiting

All booked through the app — no haggling, no guesswork, no stress.

2025

Team

I worked in a cross-functional team at

Rapido:

Product Managers

Design Managers

QA Analyst

UX Writers

Developers (Android & IOS)

Product Designer (myself)

Role

I participated closely in the UX Research,

then communicated it with our team.

Using these findings, I organized

brainstormings with the entire team. The

goal was to make everyone feel involved in

solving people's needs.

I designed and user-tested the flow

Why does everyday travel still feel like a daily compromise?

Defining the problem

It turned out most people had to pick between comfort and cost.

On one side, regular autos felt more convenient, but the cost wasn’t always justifiable for daily rides.

And on the other, offline share autos were cheap but unpredictable.

From overcrowding to uncertain routes and long wait times — people took them because they had no better choice, not because they loved the experience.

We needed to see if the right kind of ‘nudge’ could change behaviour.

Instead of asking users to change how they travel, we wanted to meet them where they already were — the offline Line.

1 Flat Pricing

2 No overcrowding

3 Lower wait time

The bet: if we offer a better version of what they already use — they’ll try it.

Nothing about this ride feels like a leap — it just feels easier.

To validate this, we kept the MVP brutally simple.

✓ Operate in existing high-footfall Lines — where people already queue up for shared autos.

✓ Let them scan and board easily. If they don’t have the app, our on-ground reps help them download and onboard in seconds.

✓ Offer the first 3 rides for free —
to remove any friction and build habit quickly.

Would people choose this version over the offline shared auto?
Would they try something else on Rapido after?

White boarding session

We mapped the flows and brainstormed the happy flow for shared auto

Link to view white boarding

AI generated in pixar style, my fav is pixar 💛

These findings informed

our solution

We created a one-pager you could refer to

during the design process.

Each point was built as a fun slogan to

make them memorable.

Be the J.A.R.V.I.S. to their Iron Man. Don’t be the hero — be the support system. Anticipate needs, simplify decisions, and let users feel in control without doing all the heavy lifting.

Talk like a friend, not a manual. Skip the jargon. User might be new to apps or rushing through traffic — clarity and warmth always win.

Think crayons, not code. Design like you're explaining it to a 5-year-old. Simple words. Big buttons. Clear paths. Because everyone appreciates ease — no matter their age.

Brainstorming

Everyone is involved from the

beginning

PMs, Developers, Product Designers were involved to build the concept.

Building the concept together was key in uniting the

team: we had a common problem to solve.

Link to view whiteboarding