[9] It originally allowed users to make bookings via phone call, before introducing its mobile app in June 2012.

[10] By early 2015, Ola reportedly had the biggest market share, followed by TaxiForSure, Meru Cabs, and Uber, which was launched in 2013.

[15] In a move to expand beyond cab aggregation, Ola acquired the struggling foodtech company Foodpanda India with an eye on leveraging the growing food delivery segment business in December 2017.

[17] Later in August 2018, Ola financed Series A funding of the scooter rent startup Vogo, and again in December, invested another $100 million.

[29] After the trial phase, Ola Auto expanded to other cities like Delhi, Pune and Chennai, starting in December 2014, and also in Hyderabad.

[35][36] It began offering food delivery services again in December 2017 with the acquisition of Foodpanda's Indian subsidiary for an undisclosed sum.

[38] As of 2021, Ola Foods operates more than 50 cloud kitchens, including its flagship brand called Khichdi Experiment, in six cities.

Founder Bhavish Aggarwal wrote in a blogpost that the acquisition would help the company convert satellite imagery into web maps.

[36][47] In November 2021, Ola Store returned with quick delivery of grocery and essentials, starting with a pilot launch in Bangalore.

[59] In August 2016, a privacy breach occurred when customers' details such as names, phone numbers and addresses, in Bangalore, were received as SMS messages by an individual in Chennai.

[62] The refund policy of Ola Cabs has been criticised because of charging errors caused by technical glitches in their system.

The fact that the same ride can cost different amounts depending on the time, day and the profiles, history and rating of the driver as well as passenger has also attracted criticism.

[64] Charges comprise: In December 2016, drivers protested outside the Kukatpally, Hyderabad office of Ola, demanding more transparency over payments.

[66] From January 2017, Ola was criticised for continuously dropping the driver incentives which in turn was affecting driver-partner's monthly income.

[71] A recent study has shown that Ola may be contributing significantly to congestion in three major Indian cities – Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

Delhi Transport authority in early 2015 questioned the credibility and required verification of drivers working for Ola, along with other competitors such as Uber.

The company stated that it was working with driving partners to continue functioning and was in touch with authorities to sort things out.