ola

Ola is a name and term with multiple uses across languages and industries. In Scandinavia, particularly Norway and Sweden, Ola is a masculine given name commonly derived from Olaf or Ole. In Poland, Ola is a widely used diminutive form of Aleksandra and functions as a female given name. The form appears in various other languages with different origins and pronunciations, and it is used both as a standalone name and in compound names.

Ola Cabs, commonly known simply as Ola, is an Indian ride-hailing company headquartered in Bengaluru. It was founded in 2010 by Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati. Ola operates taxi and mobility services in India and in several other countries, including ride-hailing, auto-rickshaws, and electric mobility ventures through Ola Electric. The company has pursued expansion, diversification into electric mobility, and partnerships, and it faces regulatory and safety considerations typical of the sector as it competes with other global platforms.

Ola also appears as a word in Romance languages. In Spanish, ola means a wave. In Portuguese, the greeting is written as Olá with an acute accent. Beyond language use, the term appears in branding, place names, and various organizational acronyms, with meanings that vary by country and context.