The Uber India video pilot is here — and it could reshape driver-rider safety in the country. In a major move, the ride-hailing giant has quietly launched an in-app video recording feature for drivers in India. The feature, introduced as a pilot programme, seeks to help drivers protect themselves and document disputes in real time.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Uber India video pilot: how it works, where it’s live, the reasons behind it, and the implications for both drivers and riders.
What is the Uber India video pilot?
The Uber India video pilot is an experimental feature rolled out by Uber in India that allows drivers to record trips from inside their vehicle via the Uber app. Riders are notified when recording is live. The aim is to deter misconduct, false claims and improve transparency
Key features of the pilot:
- Available in 10 major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow.
- The pilot began rolling out in phases from May 2025.
- Recordings are double-encrypted, stored locally on the driver’s device, and are only accessible (even by Uber) if the driver or rider submits them as part of a safety report.
- If the video is not shared, it is automatically deleted after 7 days.
Why Uber is launching this pilot
The move comes against a backdrop of safety and trust issues in the ride-hailing ecosystem in India. Key reasons include:
- Many drivers in India do not use dash-cams, making them vulnerable to false complaints or disputes with riders.
- Drivers in the Delhi-NCR and other regions reported incidents where riders demanded off-route detours or threatened to file false complaints. One driver said: “Even female passengers travelling late at night insist that we follow the route they want … If we refuse, they threaten to file false complaints.”
- For Uber, this represents a strategic attempt to improve driver retention, reduce erroneous suspensions, and enhance overall safety perception in a key market.
- The pilot builds on Uber’s previous safety tool, the in-app audio recording feature that was introduced in India in 2023.
How the feature works for drivers & riders
For drivers:
- They can activate video recording in-trip via the Uber driver app (in the pilot cities).
- A visible indicator notifies both driver and rider that recording is active.
- The recorded footage stays on the driver’s device and is encrypted; Uber cannot access it unless the driver/rider chooses to share.
- If unused, the footage is deleted automatically after 7 days, limiting storage burden and data risks.
For riders:
- Riders are in-trip notified when a recording is active, ensuring transparency.
- They remain free to switch platforms or cancel, as always — but the knowledge of recording may discourage misconduct from either side (driver or rider).
- While the feature is meant for driver protection, riders may have privacy concerns which Uber will need to address (see next section).
What this means for India’s ride-hailing ecosystem
Benefits:
- Stronger evidence for dispute resolution: video footage can help drivers and Uber adjudicate complaints more fairly and quickly.
- Potential reduction in false complaints or unwarranted suspensions of drivers.
- A signal of Uber’s commitment to safety upgrades, which may help build trust with drivers and regulators.
- May set a precedent: if successful, Uber might roll this out nationwide or in other markets.
Challenges & concerns:
- Privacy implications: Recording inside the vehicle raises questions about passenger privacy, consent, data handling and storage. While Uber claims encryption and local storage, regulatory scrutiny is likely.
- Rider trust: Some passengers may feel uncomfortable being recorded. There is a delicate balance between safety and surveillance.
- Implementation & fairness: Some drivers remain sceptical about whether Uber will actually back them when disputes involve riders, especially since riders pay for the trip and may switch apps.
- Roll-out uncertainty: Uber hasn’t committed to a full national roll-out timeline. Performance metrics in the pilot cities will determine next steps.
Background: Uber India & the safety context
Uber has been operating in India for many years and faces unique market conditions: high urban density, multiple competing ride-hailing apps, varied driver income models, and evolving regulation around gig workers and mobility services. Safety is often a key differentiator in this market.
In India, dash-cams are not yet widespread in every driver’s vehicle, and incidents of route disputes, harassment, or false claims can hurt driver livelihoods. The new video pilot is Uber’s attempt to adapt global safety tools to local conditions: the video-recording tool was first tested in the U.S. in 2022 and is already available in Canada and Brazil. India Today
With India’s bold digital regulatory changes underway (for example the upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act), mobility platforms must ensure that data collection, consent and privacy align with both regulator expectations and public sentiment.
What to watch for next
As Uber India video pilot unfolds, keep an eye on these indicators:
- Adoption rate among drivers in pilot cities: Are many drivers using the feature or avoiding it?
- Dispute resolution outcomes: Do drivers with video evidence face fewer unjust penalties or suspensions?
- Rider feedback and churn: Does rider behaviour change? Do riders switch platforms due to discomfort with recording?
- Privacy/regulatory response: Will Indian data-privacy authorities or state transport regulators raise objections or require changes?
- Full-scale rollout: Will Uber expand to all cities in India? Will the feature become default globally in similar markets?
Conclusion
The Uber India video pilot marks a significant step in enhancing safety, transparency and dispute-resolution in ride-hailing—particularly for drivers, who often bear risk of false complaints and account suspensions. By offering in-app video recording with encryption and local storage, Uber aims to give drivers a better shield while keeping riders informed.
However, success isn’t guaranteed: balancing safety with privacy, ensuring rider trust, and showing real-world outcomes will determine whether this pilot evolves into a standard feature across India. For drivers and riders alike, this could mark a shift in how mobility platforms manage safety, accountability and data in one of the world’s largest ride-hailing markets.
