| | MAY 20258Uber launches a new offering under its courier category to allow customers to transport large goods, powered by three and four-wheeled goods carriers. Courier XL will operate within its Uber Courier division, the US company's package delivery service, utilizing bikes and two-wheelers in India. As stated by the company, deliveries made with this feature saw a 50 percent year-on-year growth in 2024, showing a steady increase in usage in the initial three months of this year.The updated feature will keep utilizing current technology and offer users the same features found in Uber Courier, such as live tracking, transparent pricing, and booking through the Uber app."Courier XL is our answer to a growing demand from users, especially small businesses and households, who need a reliable way to move heavier goods across the city. Whether it's inventory, furniture, or large parcels, we're making big moves simpler and smarter," says Shiva Shailendran, Director - Consumer & Growth, Uber India South Asia.The move also puts the ride-hailing company in direct competition with other delivery startups including Porter, one of the largest players in the industry.Several logistics startups have faced similar challenges to sustain operations due to issues such as poor technology integration and an inability to address the needs of both shippers and fleet owners. For instance, Dunzo, which began as a hyperlocal delivery service, eventually shut down its operations this year. UBER LAUNCHES A NEW OFFERING UNDER ITS COURIER CATEGORYIN FOCUSWibmo, the online payments security platform owned by PayU, is set to appoint Shailesh Paul, a senior executive from Visa, as its new CEO. Shailesh Paul is an international business leader known for fostering growth and guiding strategy. His career encompasses more than twenty years in leadership positions within payments, financial services, and fintech. Shailesh oversaw international markets, including Asia Pacific, South Asia, and Middle Eastern markets based in Singapore, India, and Qatar. Shailesh has led strategic changes affecting revenue in the 10-digit dollar range. He is a recognized expert in payments and a former retail banker.Shailesh was most recently the Global Head of Small Merchant Acceptance at Visa, responsible for strategy and market entry for a segment that generates 10-digit dollar industry revenue. He led the overhaul of Visa's worldwide strategy for SMBs and launched new pricing and product innovations. Throughout his tenure, the company provided digital solutions to over 50 million SMBs worldwide.Before joining Visa, Shailesh was in charge of Cards & Personal Loans at Standard Chartered Bank in Qatar. He worked as a product manager at the bank in India and was the Marketing Manager for Mastercard before that.Shailesh is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business ­ Advanced Management Program (recipient of the Best Social Enterprise Project award), has an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management (India), and possesses a business degree from Delhi University.PayU acquired Wibmo in 2019 for $70 million as part of its strategy to extend beyond consumer payments into areas like security, lending, and infrastructure. In March, ET reported that PayU had picked up a stake in payments firm Mindgate, valuing it between $200­250 million.Founded in 1999 by Govind Setlur and Veena Mistry, Wibmo had previously raised early-stage funding from venture capital firm Accel, according to Tracxn data. WIBMO APPOINTS SHAILESH PAUL AS ITS NEW CEOIN FOCUS
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