South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Once Upon a Farm Raises Nearly $198 Million in IPO, Valued at Over $724 Million 
Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
American Airlines CEO to Meet Pilots Union Amid Storm Response and Financial Concerns 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Uber joined forces with Meta (Facebook) to make ride booking in India easier. The ride-hailing company will be using Meta's WhatsApp messaging platform for the service.
This means that customers of Uber may book rides in India through WhatsApp, so the process is just like sending an ordinary message. The companies confirmed their new partnership deal on Thursday, Dec. 2.
As Uber will soon launch its WhatsApp ride-booking system, it has become the very first ride-hailing company to try this kind of integration with an established instant messaging platform. What's more, it was mentioned that users do not have to download the company's app, and all they need is Meta's WhatsApp.
CNN Business reported that everything starting from registration to booking the ride to getting a receipt for the trip would be done and managed using the WhatsApp chat messaging interface. Initially, Uber is rolling out this service in Lucknow city in India, and later, it will be expanded to add more cities.
"The Uber experience on WhatsApp is simple, familiar, and relatable for users and has the potential to accelerate the adoption of Uber with a new category of riders in India," WhatsApp India head, Abhijit Bose, said in a statement. "The company is going to create more "customized solutions for products and services across sectors in India."
Nandini Maheshwari, Uber Asia Pacific's senior director of business development, also said that they want to make the booking and trips as easy as possible for the locals in India. To do this, they have thought of using a platform that the Indians are comfortable with; thus, the company tapped Meta for a partnership.
It was reported that India is the biggest market for WhatsApp, so it was an easy decision for Uber to pick which platform to use. The country has recorded almost half a billion users, so it will surely be hassle-free to book a ride from now on.
As per Bloomberg, Uber and Meta's partnership deal will allow users access to Uber's mobility services by sending a message to a WhatsApp chatbot. The booking process is secured as the safety features, and insurance protections will remain unchanged on rides booked via Uber or WhatsApp.
