DriveU Net Profit Doubles To Rs 3.6 Cr In FY26 As NTV Hits Rs 131 Cr

DriveU has doubled its net profit for the third consecutive profitable year, with profit rising to Rs 3.6 crore in FY26 from Rs 1.73 crore in FY25.

The Bengaluru-based on-demand driver platform grew net revenue 14% to Rs 32.9 crore from Rs 28.9 crore, according to its audited financial statements. Gross revenue stood at Rs 131 crore.

The Business Model in One Line

DriveU does not own cars. It sends a verified driver to a customer’s own vehicle, which puts it in a different market from Uber, Ola and Rapido.

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That distinction explains the revenue gap. The Rs 131 crore gross figure is the value of trips booked on the platform, while Rs 32.9 crore is what DriveU keeps as its commission.

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The company paid about Rs 97.21 crore to driver-partners during the year, and that payout is the single largest line in the business.

Where the Margin Comes From

EBITDA grew 58% to Rs 2.74 crore, and the EBITDA margin on net revenue improved to 8.3% from 6%.

Employee benefit expenses stayed flat at Rs 13.7 crore. Direct expenses, which cover partner incentives, technology and trip insurance, were Rs 8.35 crore.

Marketing spend actually fell 5% to Rs 4.84 crore, while total expenses rose 10% to Rs 30.5 crore.

That combination is unusual for a consumer platform. Most companies at this stage buy growth with marketing. DriveU grew revenue 14% while spending less on promotion.

Why Demand Exists

The market for on-demand drivers comes from car owners who want a convenient alternative to driving themselves.

Concerns around drunk driving and road safety have pushed demand further, along with the practical needs of older customers, people in unfamiliar cities and households with a single driver.

DriveU works across 13 cities and has completed more than 10.5 million trips with over 100,000 registered driver-partners.

Two New Bets

DriveU Reserve and DriveU Coach also solve a structural problem. The core product is a marketplace with thin take rates, and adding services is how such platforms raise revenue per customer.

In April 2026, the company launched two verticals: DriveU Reserve, a chauffeur-driven premium cab service, and DriveU Coach, which provides driving lessons at customers’ homes.

Both are adjacent to the core business and both are more capital intensive. A cab service requires vehicles or partners who own them, while coaching requires instructors and a schedule.

The company says it will fund these investments from operating cash flows. It has raised Rs 54 crore since inception, with the last round in 2024, and has not taken fresh capital since.

What to Watch

One more variable is insurance and liability. When a driver is behind the wheel of a customer’s car, a dispute over damage is the fastest way to lose trust, and how DriveU handles those claims decides its reputation.

For now, DriveU is one of the few Indian consumer platforms that is profitable without fresh capital. That alone makes its FY27 numbers worth tracking closely.

Three things will decide the next year. The first is the FY27 guidance of Rs 170 crore in gross revenue, roughly 30% growth, which is a sharp acceleration from this year’s pace.

The second is whether the premium cab business dilutes the margin that makes DriveU interesting. Per-trip economics in cabs are far worse than in driver-on-demand.

The third is driver supply. The model depends on 100,000 partners staying available, and any platform that pays out 74% of gross to partners has limited room to compete on incentives.