Yalena Yang Sun serves as the Director of SuperApp at inDrive, where she leads the strategic development and expansion of the company’s multi-service ecosystem. The inDrive SuperApp is designed as an integrated, all-in-one mobile platform that brings together a wide range of everyday services within a single application. Instead of switching between multiple apps for transportation, courier delivery, grocery orders, and financial services, users can conveniently access everything in one unified digital space. Shreya Shrestha of ApEx spoke with Yang Sun to gain deeper insights into the vision behind the SuperApp, its key features, future roadmap, and how inDrive plans to redefine digital convenience through its expanding range of services.
Which InDrive SuperApp features or services have shown the fastest adoption globally, and what lessons can markets like Nepal learn from those experiences?
What we try to avoid is a one-size-fits-all approach, launching the same set of services everywhere using a global template. Our ride-based business, which is the core of our operations, has always been localized to the context of each market. Similarly, as we expand services, we don’t follow a standard global playbook. Instead, we curate services based entirely on local needs and readiness, particularly when it comes to digital offerings. Timing is crucial as you introduce a service when people are ready to embrace it.
For example, in Nepal, shipping and food delivery are already well established, and people are adopting digital services quickly. Grocery delivery, however, is fairly new, and people are just getting used to it. So we need to understand the market and enter at the right moment. Adoption also depends on how we curate services. We focus on essential services first. Mobility was our starting point because it’s a fundamental daily need—people have to move around. Once that’s established, we expand into other essential services, like food and groceries. Meeting such basic needs ensures people have access to fair and reliable services. When these fundamentals are in place, adoption happens naturally.
How is inDrive ensuring seamless integration between different companies and services within a single app?
Partner selection is extremely important. We look for companies whose values align with ours, particularly in making essential services accessible and affordable. For example, we avoid premium-only services that cater to a small segment—that wouldn’t match our mission. We also look at their business models and founding teams to ensure alignment on vision and long-term goals.
On the technology side, we’ve built integration infrastructure from the ground up. We’ve already integrated a few companies in other markets and have standardized APIs and processes to make future integrations faster and smoother. This makes scaling more efficient and ensures that each service, no matter the partner, fits seamlessly into the ecosystem.
What challenges do companies typically face when building a superapp, and how is inDrive addressing them?
Simply bundling more services can actually create a burden on users—they have to scroll, click, and figure out what’s relevant. The original superapp concept years ago focused on offering everything together, but we realized that this can overwhelm people rather than help them.
inDrive SuperApp is designed to be simple, easy to navigate, and highly personalized. We use technology, including AI, to tailor the experience to each user’s needs. The app anticipates what the user is likely to need, reducing cognitive load and making the experience intuitive. Our goal is to create a smart ecosystem where users can access the services that truly matter to them without having to sift through everything else.
With increasing competition in the superapp, what differentiates inDrive approach from other global platforms?
We’re focusing on areas where we can make the most impact and benefit users’ daily lives. Food delivery remains a key focus, as it is growing rapidly and directly supports essential needs. Value-driven digital services, including support for local languages, are also crucial. Accessibility is important because if people can’t access the service, no matter how available it is, it won’t succeed.
Financial services have shown strong engagement and positive feedback from users. Providing access in a fair and inclusive way opens opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded from these services. We are also exploring tailored e-commerce options designed for emerging markets—not generic online marketplaces, but things like secondhand electronics or other affordable digital solutions. These services allow users to enjoy the benefits of digital convenience without high costs. Across all areas, our focus is consistent: services must meet real needs, be fair, and be adapted to the local context.
Looking ahead, what new innovations or services categories can users expect to see added in inDrive SuperApp in the near future?
Though the answer is unsure, it will be determined by the further need of the market because the local conditions might be different. It will also be influenced by the right partnership in the future.
At the moment, there are a few areas we’re particularly excited about. Food is one of them. We’ve seen tremendous growth in this vertical over the past few years, and last year, some markets already reached very high adoption rates. We plan to continue building on this momentum in other key markets because food delivery is a service that people can clearly benefit from on a daily basis.
Another is value-driven digital services. Accessibility is critical, and language support is a big part of that. For instance, some financial services are growing quickly and receiving positive feedback because they allow users to access essential tools in their local language—something that significantly lowers barriers to entry. Without it, many people would be excluded.
Overall, we are actively exploring these areas and ready to expand whenever the right opportunities arise. The focus will always remain on tailoring services to local needs and ensuring they are fair, accessible, and valuable for our users.
