2023 mein, Uber ne ek mahatvapurna lakshya haasil kiya, pehli baar poora saal ke liye jo paisa kharcha kiya, usse adhik paisa kamaya. Ye aam taur par dekha gaya ki hamesha paiso ke kashtapat se peedit vyavasaay ab ek adhik sustainable raaste par hai.

Aaj, woh signals hain ki safar humne socha tha se lamba ho sakta hai.

Ridehailing aur delivery company ne saal ke pehle quarter mein $654 million ka net loss report kiya, jabki kayi logon ke hisaab se legal settlements aur equity investments Uber ke vyavasaay par aane wale nuksan se adhik saabit huye. Wall Street analysts ne $474 million ka munafa ummeed kiya tha, according to The Wall Street Journal. Vishesh roop se, company ke kabhi khatam na hone waale legal jhagde, jaise ki unke drivers ki classification ke upar, saath hi kuch market mein ghate hue demand, dono ko Uber ke financial momentum ko dheela karne ke roop mein dekha gaya.

Phir bhi, Uber ke vyavasaay ke mool tatva majboot lagte hain. Company ke adjust kiye gaye kamaayi $1.4 billion se 82 pratishat tak badh gaye. Uber ke gross bookings, yaani ki uske app par ki gayi transactions ki maan, 20 pratishat badh gayi $37.65 billion tak. Revenue bhi 15 pratishat badh gaya $10.1 billion tak.

Toh phir nuksan kyun? Seedhe shabdon mein, legal settlements, dusri companies mein stock holdings, aur kuch key markets jaise ki Latin America mein kam rides. Ye sabhi factors Uber ke logon aur samaan ki delivery ki business se anjaane dikhayi dete hain, lekin ye company ke core business model ko bhi darshate hain.

Yeh koi chhupa hua raaz nahi hai ki Uber apne drivers ko swatantra vyavsaayi taur par classify karta hai, ek tareeke se shram mein kam lagat ko kam karne aur apne aapko bas ek app ke roop mein sthapit karta hai jo grahakon ko anuyaayi freelancers se jodta hai jo kai ridehailing aur delivery companies ke liye kaam karte hain.

Aur phir bhi, saalon tak, company ne apne drivers ko karmachaariyon ke roop mein reclassify karne aur unhe behtar bhugtan dene ki koshishon ke khilaaf sthaaniya vidhan sabhaaon aur courts ke prayaason ka samna kiya hai. Company ne in prayaason ko samapt karne ke liye dason arab dollar kharch kiye hain, aur jab kabhi kabhi jeet jaati hai, toh lagta hai ki mamla khatm hone ke kareeb nahi hai.

Sabse latest misaal yeh hai ki Minneapolis mein, jahan sthaaniya netaaon ne Uber aur Lyft drivers ke liye naye vetan kaanoon ka ghoshna kiya hai, jisse company ne shahar chhod dene ki dhamki di hai agar yeh kanoon pass ho gaya. Driver classification ke prayaas Massachusetts aur California mein ubhar rahe hain.

Aur jab cheezein khaas taur par andhere dikhte hain, Uber settlements karta hai — yahi wajah hai ki company ki labhadayita jyada shaky dikh rahi hai jo ki honi chahiye. Haal hi mein, Uber ne Australian taxi drivers ke saath apne jhagde ko samapt karne ke liye unhe $178 million diye ka sahamat ho gaya hai.

Apne kaafi chhote rival Lyft ke viparit, Uber ek global company hai, jo kehti hai ki uski maapdand usse local shram niyamon ko apni marzi ke mutabik modne mein madad karti hai. Aur haan, kuch safalataayein hui hain, lekin lagta hai ki yeh jung jaari rahegi, bina kisi rok tok ke.

Biden administration ne Uber aur doosre gig economy companies ko apne nishaane par rakha hai. Nigraani ke anusaar, yeh company ke ird-gird ghoomte hue vittiya aspaasata ko badha sakta hai aur uske sthiti ko aur bhi vyast kar sakta hai.

Logon ko lagta nahi hai ki Uber mehenga hai. Lekin agar company ko achanak se drivers ko poora fayda aur ek jeene ki vaarshik vetan dena shuru karna padega mukhya markets mein, toh uss tyaag mein bhi bhi chalaki ghata sakti hai ek jyada mehnga safar ya takeout order ke saamne.