Taxi aggregator and ride-hailing service Uber on Thursday announced the launch of its ‘Dial an Uber’ service, which will allow potential riders to book a cab through a mobile website. The announcement assumes significance as it is the company’s first strategic move in India following its exit from China after it sold its local operations there to its competitor, Didi Chuxing.

The company was quoted by Mint as saying that the service had currently been rolled out to Nagpur, Kochi, Guwahati and Jodhpur. It was also reported that Uber had introduced a feature in its mobile applications allowing users to book a taxi for people in a different location. The company called both launches “India-first innovations” and a “testament to Uber’s focus on using its technological prowess to mobility reliable and accessible for everyone”.

The moves came as Ola, Uber’s biggest competitor in India, merged its subsidiary TaxiForSure’s operations with its own fleet of taxis in a measure to cut costs. It was earlier reported that the Bengaluru-based taxi aggregator was also in talks to raise $300 million-$400 million (approximately Rs 2,000 crore-2,600 crore) in funding from investors. While Uber itself has been valued at around $62.5 billion (approximately Rs 4.18 lakh crore), recent reports suggested that the valuation may actually be $28 billion (approximately Rs 1.88 lakh crore).