Uber, the mobile app based taxi cab / ride sharing company, which allows you to get cheap car rides using your smartphone, and which is extremely popular in the US, has just launched in Pune yesterday, according to their blog.

So, here’s the breathless launch announcement:

From the bustling streets of Koregaon Park to the corporate parks at Hadapsar, Punekars went all out to grab their first Uber! The music community took the ‘lead’ with Vishal Dadlani, Bollywood music director and Pentagram vocalist, grabbing that coveted Rider Zero spot. He fired up his app to get an Uber to his studio and within minutes a slick beemer showed up. We only got a few seconds with him and the car, before they zoomed off. Close on Vishal’s heels were Indian Ocean, India’s first fusion rock band, who did not miss a chance to grab the gleaming white Audi that was cruising around the neighbourhood.

and here’s the more interesting part – information about their introductory offer of 2 free rides:

During our testing phase we will have limited cars available; expect longer ETAs than usual. We are working hard to add cars and deliver the ‘Uber’ experience in Pune. Give us a try if you haven’t yet! New users, use the promo code ‘UberPuneLaunch’ and get 2 free rides up to Rs. 300 each! (New users only, valid up to 30th June, 2014)

How does Uber work? BGR.in has this to say:

In Pune, Uber will have an interesting fleet of cars that include the Renault Duster, Toyota Innova, Nissan Sunny, BMW 3 Series, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Vento.

Pune will have one of the most affordable tariffs than any other Indian city. The base fare will be Rs 80 with Rs 15/km and Rs 2/minute. The minimum fare and cancellation fee will be Rs 150 each.

For more, read Uber’s original blog post and the BGR article