Sidd Mantri, Chief Product Officer at inDrive, explains how CRISP personalisation, predictive safety and Middle East talent will power the next phase of its SuperApp ambitions
Fresh into the role of Chief Product Officer at inDrive, Sidd Mantri is steering the mobility platform through a pivotal shift as AI reshapes how people move, shop and pay.
With more than 400 million downloads, over 8 billion completed trips and operations across 47 countries and 1,200-plus cities, inDrive is extending its peer-to-peer model beyond ride-hailing into courier, grocery delivery, advertising and financial services.
Drawing on senior roles at Grab, Careem and Disney+, Mantri outlines how the company’s CRISP approach to personalisation, predictive safety and geo intelligence will shape its SuperApp ambitions, why the Middle East has become one of its strongest hubs, and why the final decision must always rest with the customer.
Interview excerpts
You have taken on the CPO role at a pivotal moment for mobility, so what is your immediate product priority as AI reshapes the sector?
AI only earns its place if it makes things simpler, better and more efficient, and sharper in-app recommendations driven by intent prediction have lifted conversion while cutting notifications, because less noise has made people do more. We operate across 47 countries and more than 1,200 cities, and have quickly expanded beyond rides into courier, grocery delivery, advertising and financial services. Our CRISP (Contextually Relevant Intelligent Seamless Personalised) approach surfaces what matters to each customer at the right moment, such as a weekly grocery cart ready to order in one click, yet the final decision must always belong to the customer.
inDrive built its reputation on peer-to-peer pricing and fairness, so how do you ensure AI enhances that model rather than eroding it?
Real negotiation between people is why inDrive exists, with the rider proposing a price and the driver accepting, countering or declining it, so the model is transparent by design. AI’s job is to help riders and drivers become more efficient and make fairer choices within that negotiation. Oxford Economics research we commissioned across seven markets found that about eight in ten rides in Egypt, Pakistan, Colombia, Mexico and Peru still use fare negotiation even when an algorithmic price is shown, so our AI investment goes into fairer starting prices, faster matching, more accurate ETAs, predictive safety and quicker customer support.
Having held senior roles at Grab and Careem, what lessons from those platforms are you bringing to inDrive’s next phase of growth?
My roles at Grab, Disney+ and Careem focused on emerging markets, which closely mirror the customers and communities inDrive serves. Grab taught me that a SuperApp succeeds when every new service creates value for customers while also improving existing ones, setting off a positive cycle where happier customers stay longer and the whole business grows. Careem showed me how a strong loyalty programme can tie services together, while expanding Disney+ into 16 markets reinforced that lesson.
Ride-hailing earned the initial trust on both Grab and Careem, and food, grocery, payments and subscriptions then created a halo effect that powered the flywheel.
Why is inDrive doubling down on the Middle East as one of its strongest global hubs, and what makes the region’s tech talent stand out?
We are among the leaders in Egypt, Morocco and Algeria, and last year expanded into Saudi Arabia, where we are exploring an autonomous vehicle pilot, the kind of early bet this region embraces. Egypt and Morocco are also priority markets for our SuperApp roll-out. Gartner forecasts MENA IT spending will reach $169 billion this year, outpacing the global average on the back of AI, so getting ahead of that curve beats catching up later. Engineers and product talent in Riyadh, Cairo and beyond understand cash preferences, connectivity gaps and what earns trust first-hand, and that hyperlocal insight cannot be outsourced.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for AI-powered mobility to deliver tech for good across MENA over the next two to three years?
Predictive safety and geo intelligence hold the greatest potential for real societal impact across MENA. Geo intelligence can turn mobility apps into smart-city infrastructure that eases congestion, and our deep learning model Iris analyses hundreds of millions of past trips to sharpen ETA accuracy, while real-world driver stops now generate better pickup points automatically. Safety is shifting from reactive to predictive through liveness checks, photo-matching of drivers and vehicles, AI screening of messages and faster document verification. Success still depends on reliable connectivity, regulators willing to share traffic and infrastructure data, and customers trusting us to use their data responsibly.
Source: Tahawul Tech