Indian ride-hailing platform Ola is making its entrance into the UK, as it steps up its challenge to Uber in another part of the world.

Ola has picked up licenses to bring its service to South Wales and Greater Manchester – with plans to launch operations in South Wales within the next month. The company says it is working with local authorities across the UK to expand to more locations by the end of the year.

With its UK debut, Ola will become the first ride-hailing app in the nation to offer private hire vehicles and black cabs on its platform.

“Ola is excited to announce its plans for the UK, one of the world’s most evolved transportation markets,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder & CEO at Ola. “The UK is a fantastic place to do business and we look forward to providing a responsible, compelling, new service that can help the country meet its ever-demanding mobility needs. We look forward to our continued engagement with policymakers and regulators as we expand across the country and build a company embedded in the UK.”

Ola is inviting private hire vehicle and metered taxi drivers in Cardiff, Newport, and Vale of Glamorgan. The entry into the UK follows Ola’s launch in Australia earlier this year.