Fact check: Post claiming TATA launched a new taxi service is fake

New Delhi (Vishvas News): Vishvas News came across a message being widely circulated again on social media, claiming that TATA motors has launched a new taxi service Cab E in Mumbai and Pune. Vishvas News in its investigation found the claim to be fake.

Claim:
Facebook user, Smruti Desai, shared the viral message on her Facebook profile and wrote:

TATA has launched a new taxi service Cab E in Mumbai & Pune.. better alternative to Ola & Uber… TATA always helps the Nation in difficult times.. I request all of you to share this as much as possible.
Download the app on play store.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cabe.rider

The claim came with a link to download the application.

Check the post and its archive version here.

Investigation:
Vishvas News first started with a simple keyword search and had a look at the link mentioned along with the viral message.

The link took us to the Google Play store to download an application called Cab-E.

Vishvas News went ahead to search about the Cab-E.

We found a website for this application. And we further searched for more details about the company,

We landed into the About page of the company.

The page said, “CAB-EEZ Infra Tech (P) Limited (Brand Name: “Cab-e”) is a Technology Marketplace providing Technology Platform (built in-house) which supports a mobile-based online Cab booking service for an All-Electric Fleet of Cabs – for Local, Inter-City, Rentals, Tailored B2B services and customized trips – with the sole aim of significantly contributing to the Indian government’s push for 100% electric mobility by 2030.”

Nowhere in the website was it mentioned that the company is owned by TATA motors.

We looked for the social media handles of the company and came across a post that was shared on its Facebook page.

The post by Cab-E on 29th March, 2019 clarified that Cab-E is a privately owned organisation and does not have any stake of TATA.

Vishvas News also found the same post on LinkedIn.

Vishvas News then reached out to Cab-E through its Facebook page. The company in response said that TATA has not launched this Cab-E service and that Cab-E is a privately owned organisation and does not have any stake of TATA.

In the last step of investigation Vishvas News did a social background check of the user who shared the viral message on Facebook. User Smruti Desai, is a resident of Ahmedabad, she has 457 friends.