Why intercity carpooling in India still lives in WhatsApp groups

Hi everyone, I’m Sunil, solo founder of Tezzo. In India, most people who share a ride between cities find each other in WhatsApp and Facebook groups. There’s no verification, no ratings and no record of who you travelled with. Tezzo is my attempt to fix that: Google/Apple sign-in only, a phone number on every account, live-camera ID checks, women-only rides for verified women, and chat with the driver before booking. Passengers pay the driver directly in cash or UPI, and there’s no commission.

541 people have signed up so far, 398 of them this October, all organic. My biggest challenge: most drivers are in North India and most searches come from the South. How would you seed supply on new routes? I’d love your feedback.