Driver / Rider Partner Agreement for independent contractors operating on the hailO platform
Effective from 25th July 2026
A. hailO operates a technology platform that connects customers with independent Driver/Rider Partners for logistics, delivery and mobility services. hailO does not itself provide transportation services or sell goods, and acts solely as a facilitator of the connection.
B. The Driver Partner wishes to provide logistics, delivery and/or mobility services to customers through the hailO platform on the terms of this Agreement.
C. The Parties wish to record the terms of their engagement on a principal-to-principal basis.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set out below, the Parties agree as follows.
1.1 This document is an electronic record within the meaning of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules framed thereunder, and the provisions pertaining to electronic records in other applicable statutes, as amended. This electronic record is generated by a computer system and does not require a physical or digital signature.
1.2 The Driver Partner's Acceptance is valid consent to be bound by this Agreement for the purpose of receiving and performing the Platform Services, and operates as a binding agreement between the Driver Partner and hailO. The Driver Partner should read and understand all clauses of this Agreement before providing the Platform Services, as the Driver Partner shall be bound by all its terms upon Acceptance.
1.3 hailO reserves the right to change, modify, add to, or remove the clauses of this Agreement, in part or in whole. It is the Driver Partner's responsibility to periodically check this Agreement and hailO's website for any changes. The Driver Partner's continued use of the Platform following the posting of changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.
1.4 By accepting this Agreement, the Driver Partner further agrees and consents to the collection, transfer, use, storage, disclosure, and sharing of their information (personally identifiable or not), as permitted under applicable law, for improving the Platform Services, internal record-keeping, security, and statutory disclosure. The Driver Partner further agrees to hailO's Privacy Policy available at hailo.co.in.
Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation. Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa; words importing one gender include all genders. References to this Agreement include its Schedules and any policies incorporated by reference.
3.1 The Driver Partner is an independent contractor engaged on a principal-to-principal basis. Nothing in this Agreement creates any employment, agency, partnership, or joint-venture relationship between the Parties.
3.2 The Driver Partner shall accept and fulfil service requests routed through the hailO platform, ensure timely pickup and delivery, and maintain professional conduct with customers and hailO personnel.
3.3 The Driver Partner is free to determine their own working hours and is not obligated to accept any minimum number of requests, save where a committed schedule has been separately agreed in writing.
4.1 Term. This Agreement commences on the Effective Date and is valid for one (1) year, and shall automatically renew for successive one-year periods unless terminated in accordance with this Clause.
4.2 Termination by hailO. hailO reserves the right to suspend or terminate this Agreement at any time, without assigning any reason and without prior notice to the Driver Partner, including (without limitation) in cases of fraud or fake orders, misbehaviour with customers, theft or tampering with goods, use of fake or expired documents, operating multiple accounts, working under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or any illegal activity.
4.3 Termination by the Driver Partner. The Driver Partner may terminate this Agreement by giving fifteen (15) days' written notice to hailO.
4.4 Effect of termination. Termination shall be without prejudice to the accrued rights and obligations of either Party existing as at the date of termination, and shall not affect any other right or remedy available to hailO. Provisions that by their nature ought to survive termination shall continue in force in accordance with Clause 27.9.
4.5 Appeal. A Driver Partner whose account is suspended or terminated may submit a written appeal to the Grievance Officer (Clause 22) within seven (7) days, which hailO shall review on a best-effort basis.
5.1 The Driver Partner shall pay applicable platform-usage, trip-access, or recharge charges (per-trip or wallet-based, plus applicable taxes) through hailO's payment gateway, prior to accepting trips. hailO may revise such charges at any time; continued use of the Platform after such revision constitutes acceptance.
5.2 In consideration for the Platform Services, the Driver Partner shall be entitled to Fees as notified by hailO from time to time, subject to deduction/collection of applicable taxes. Pricing, trip fares, incentives, and discounts extended to customers are determined at hailO's sole and absolute discretion and are inclusive of all applicable taxes.
5.3 If any payment is due from hailO to the Driver Partner (it being clarified that, since the Driver Partner ordinarily collects trip charges directly from the customer under Clause 5.5, such a payment will typically not arise), the same shall be made by crossed cheque, NEFT, RTGS, or such other mode as hailO determines from time to time, in accordance with the settlement cycle published in the Payment Policy.
⚠️ 5.4 Non-payment of applicable charges by the Driver Partner may result in restriction of access, blocking of trips, or suspension of the account.
5.5 hailO is not responsible for the collection of any amount from the customer. The Driver Partner shall collect the trip charges directly from the customer, either in cash or via UPI. hailO is not a payment collector or intermediary and shall not be liable for payment disputes, cash shortages, or fraud by either the customer or the Driver Partner.
5.6 The Driver Partner shall ensure that their registered mobile device remains available, charged, connected to an active internet connection, and reachable at all times during an active trip so that hailO can track and facilitate the Platform Services. If the Driver Partner's device is unavailable, switched off, or unreachable for a prolonged period and this results in a customer complaint or compensation being paid by hailO to the customer, hailO may deduct an amount up to the value of such compensation from amounts otherwise payable to the Driver Partner, at hailO's reasonable discretion.
5.7 The Driver Partner shall be part of hailO's standard ratings process. Consistently low ratings may affect the Driver Partner's access to the Platform, at hailO's discretion, following notice to the Driver Partner.
5.8 hailO does not guarantee any minimum number of trips, minimum business volume, or minimum earnings to the Driver Partner. The volume and value of Platform Services made available to the Driver Partner may vary based on demand, location, ratings, and other factors at hailO's sole discretion.
5.9 In relation to Tempo Platform Services specifically, loading and unloading of goods is not included within the trip fare. Where the Driver Partner agrees to provide such loading or unloading assistance, this shall be a separate arrangement directly between the Driver Partner and the customer, on mutually agreed additional charges. hailO shall not be responsible or liable for any such additional charges, arrangement, or any dispute arising therefrom, the same being strictly a matter between the Driver Partner and the customer.
6.1 The Driver Partner shall promptly proceed to the pickup location after accepting a trip. Repeated cancellations without a valid reason may result in suspension or termination of the Driver Partner's account.
6.2 Where a customer cancels a booking after the Driver Partner has reached the pickup location, or where the customer fails to appear within the waiting time prescribed by hailO, the Driver Partner shall be entitled to such cancellation compensation, if any, as may be determined by hailO from time to time.
7.1 The Driver Partner is solely responsible for determining and discharging their own income-tax, GST, and other tax obligations arising from the Platform Services, and for obtaining any required registrations (including GST registration where the threshold is crossed).
7.2 Statutory compliance in respect of each consignment (including GST invoices and e-way bills, where applicable) is primarily the customer's responsibility; the Driver Partner shall collect the requisite documents from the customer prior to pickup.
7.3 Since the Driver Partner collects trip charges directly from the customer in accordance with Clause 5.5, hailO does not collect or hold any part of such payment, and hailO shall have no GST liability in respect of amounts so collected by the Driver Partner.
9.1 The Driver Partner shall not knowingly accept or transport any parcel containing prohibited or illegal goods, including but not limited to those listed above, or any article prohibited under applicable law.
9.2 The customer shall be solely responsible for the contents of the parcel and any legal consequences arising therefrom.
10.1 The Driver Partner shall not manipulate GPS location, create fake trips, use unauthorized software, operate multiple accounts, or engage in any fraudulent activity intended to obtain wrongful benefits.
10.2 Any such conduct shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement and may result in immediate suspension or termination, without prejudice to hailO's legal remedies.
11.1 The Driver Partner shall render the Platform Services with the care, skill, and diligence of a reasonably prudent operator (“RPO”) — that is, exercising the skill, diligence, prudence, and foresight reasonably expected of a skilled and experienced operator complying with all Applicable Law, engaged in the same type of undertaking under similar circumstances — and shall ensure that any person engaged by the Driver Partner does the same.
11.2 The Driver Partner shall render the Platform Services in strict compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, the Carriage by Road Act, 2007 and Rules, 2011 (where applicable), and all other Applicable Law.
11.3 The Driver Partner shall not, and shall ensure that persons engaged by them do not, disparage or make negative public statements (oral or written) about hailO or its officers, employees, directors, or representatives.
11.4 Breach of this Clause entitles hailO to terminate this Agreement and claim indemnification from the Driver Partner in accordance with Clause 19.
12.1 Where hailO mandates vehicle branding, the Driver Partner shall display such branding and shall not opt out of it during the term of this Agreement, except with hailO's prior written consent. Brand affixation shall only be carried out through vendors identified by hailO.
12.2 The Driver Partner consents to hailO's use of their photograph and vehicle photographs in hailO's internal communications, training material, and marketing/advertising (including online, social media, and offline), and to hailO sharing such images with third parties for these purposes, subject to hailO's Privacy Policy.
13.1 The Driver Partner shall maintain, at their own cost, throughout the term: (a) a valid driving licence; (b) valid vehicle registration (RC); (c) a current PUC certificate; and (d) valid third-party motor insurance as required under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
13.2 For commercial or bike-taxi operations, the Driver Partner shall additionally hold the required commercial permit and commercial-use insurance, and shall comply with applicable state transport/RTO requirements, including any specific to the State of Maharashtra.
13.3 The Driver Partner shall observe road-safety norms, including mandatory helmet use for two-wheelers, which shall also be compulsory for any pillion passenger, with the helmet to be provided by the Driver Partner, and seatbelt use for four-wheelers. The Driver Partner shall keep the vehicle in good operating condition and report accidents to the TA (Travel Associate) and the appropriate authorities promptly.
14.1 The Driver Partner shall ensure that the vehicle remains clean, hygienic, roadworthy, and in good mechanical condition at all times. Failure to maintain minimum quality and cleanliness standards may result in suspension from the Platform.
14.2 hailO may, on reasonable notice, inspect the vehicle and require production of the documents referred to in Clauses 13 and 14 to verify ongoing compliance. Failure to produce valid documents or to permit such inspection may result in restriction of access or suspension of the account, at hailO's discretion.
15.1 In the event of any accident, injury, theft, or emergency during the course of a trip or delivery, the Driver Partner shall first take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of affected persons and notify the appropriate emergency authorities where required.
15.2 The Driver Partner shall thereafter inform the TA (Travel Associate) as soon as reasonably practicable and cooperate with any investigation.
⚠️ 15.3 The Driver Partner is not entitled to claim reimbursement of hospitalisation or medical expenses incurred by the Driver Partner, or by their family members, in connection with any accident, injury, or illness arising during or in connection with the Platform Services.
16.1 All terms of this Agreement apply equally to Platform Services rendered under hailO's Pink Rides (female-only) category, in addition to the specific conditions set out in this Clause.
16.2 Where the Driver Partner's registration includes Pink Rides, the vehicle shall be driven only by the registered female Driver Partner. No male driver shall operate the vehicle for any trip booked under Pink Rides.
16.3 A Pink Rides booking may only be made by a female customer. A child below eighteen (18) years of age may be a co-passenger only if accompanied by an adult female. No male passenger is permitted on a Pink Rides trip.
16.4 If a male passenger attempts to board or is found to have booked a Pink Rides trip, the Driver Partner has the right to immediately cancel the trip and shall promptly inform the TA. hailO reserves the right to take appropriate action, including suspension or termination under Clause 4, against the customer or Driver Partner as applicable.
16.5 Pink Rides is limited strictly to passenger ride bookings. It does not extend to, and shall not be used for, parcel or delivery services, this restriction being maintained specifically in the interest of women's safety.
17.1 The Driver Partner may refuse or terminate a ride or delivery where the customer is abusive, violent, intoxicated to an extent that poses a safety risk, engages in unlawful conduct, or requests any activity contrary to law or this Agreement.
17.2 The Driver Partner shall promptly report such incidents to the TA (Travel Associate) through the prescribed reporting mechanism.
18.1 Any property left behind by a customer in the Driver Partner's vehicle shall be reported to the TA (Travel Associate) as soon as reasonably practicable. The Driver Partner shall make reasonable efforts to safeguard such property until further instructions are received.
18.2 hailO acts only as a facilitator and shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or failure to recover such property.
19.1 The Driver Partner is responsible for accidents, injury or death, loss/theft/damage of goods, legal violations, vehicle-related issues, and customer claims arising in connection with the Platform Services performed by them.
19.2 The Driver Partner shall exercise due care in the handling and transport of the customer's goods and shall be responsible for their safe delivery to the customer. The Driver Partner shall be liable for any damage to the goods occurring during transit up to the point of delivery, save where such damage is caused by an inherent defect in the goods, improper packaging by the customer, or force majeure.
The Driver Partner shall indemnify and keep indemnified and hold hailO harmless from and against any and all liabilities, losses, charges, expenses (including legal fees on a full-indemnity basis), claims, demands, actions, and proceedings that hailO may incur or sustain, directly or indirectly, arising from: (a) any breach by the Driver Partner of this Agreement; (b) the Driver Partner's negligence or wilful misconduct; (c) any claim relating to the vehicle's title, ownership, or third-party use; or (d) any act or omission of a person engaged by the Driver Partner. The Driver Partner shall pay such sums forthwith on demand by hailO in writing.
19.4 There shall be no equivalent limitation on the Driver Partner's liability to hailO under this Agreement or by reason of the indemnity in Clause 19.3.
19.5 Each Party shall bear its own costs in connection with its obligations under this Agreement and its own advocates' fees, save as otherwise set out in Clause 27.10 (Stamp duty).
20.1 Confidentiality. Customer data, pricing, platform data, and each Party's proprietary information (“Confidential Information”) are strictly confidential and must not be shared, sold, or misused, either during the term or for three (3) years after its end.
20.2 Personal data. The Driver Partner consents to hailO collecting, storing, using, transferring, and sharing their Driver Information (personally identifiable or not) for onboarding, verification, regulatory compliance, internal record-keeping, statutory disclosure, and platform operations, as permitted under applicable law and hailO's Privacy Policy (hailo.co.in).
20.3 hailO shall process personal data in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Aadhaar Act, 2016, and applicable law, on the principles of purpose limitation, data minimisation, storage limitation, and reasonable security. Aadhaar data, where collected, shall be masked and handled in accordance with applicable law.
20.4 The Driver Partner shall not collect, store, or misuse customer personal data obtained through the Platform.
21.1 hailO remains the owner of all intellectual property it owns or controls as of the Effective Date, or develops or acquires thereafter, including the hailO name, logo, and branding. Nothing in this Agreement transfers any intellectual property rights of either Party to the other.
21.2 Any intellectual property created in the course of, or in connection with, this Agreement (excluding the Driver Partner's pre-existing intellectual property) shall be owned exclusively by hailO. Nothing in this Agreement grants the Driver Partner any licence to use the hailO name or logo except as expressly permitted under Clause 12.
22.1 hailO designates a Grievance Officer whose name and contact details are published at hailo.co.in. The Driver Partner may escalate any grievance to the Grievance Officer, who shall acknowledge and respond within the timelines prescribed by applicable law.
23.1 hailO shall obtain and maintain all licences, registrations, and approvals required for operating the Platform, including applicable transport, platform-worker, data-protection, and (where relevant) food-delivery obligations.
23.2 The Driver Partner shall comply with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, GST laws, local transport laws, food-safety laws (where applicable), and all other applicable Indian law, and shall hold all licences, permits, and approvals necessary for the vehicle used, at their own cost.
23.3 Each Party shall comply with applicable platform-worker social-security obligations under the Code on Social Security, 2020, and rules notified thereunder, to the extent applicable to it and as implemented.
24.1 hailO may require the Driver Partner to participate in onboarding sessions, refresher training, safety programmes, or policy updates from time to time. Continued access to the Platform may be subject to successful completion of such programmes.
25.1 Escalation. The Parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute amicably, including escalation to the Grievance Officer, within thirty (30) days.
25.2 Arbitration. Any dispute not resolved amicably shall be referred to arbitration by a sole arbitrator, governed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The seat and venue of arbitration shall be Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, and the language of arbitration shall be English. The arbitration shall be kept confidential by the Parties, save as required by law.
25.3 Appointment. The sole arbitrator shall be appointed by mutual consent within thirty (30) days of a Party invoking arbitration, failing which the arbitrator shall be appointed under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
25.4 Interim relief. Nothing in this Clause prevents either Party from seeking interim or injunctive relief from the competent courts at Kolhapur, Maharashtra, where necessary.
25.5 The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the Parties.
26.1 The Privacy Policy, Payment Policy, Code of Conduct, and other policies applicable to Driver/Rider Partners as published on hailO's official website (hailo.co.in) are incorporated into this Agreement by reference, and hailO may amend them from time to time. It is the Driver Partner's responsibility to periodically review such policies for changes.
26.2 Order of precedence. In the event of a conflict, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail over the website terms and policies, which shall prevail over any general communications.
27.1 Electronic record. This Agreement is an electronic record under the Information Technology Act, 2000, generated by a computer system, and does not require a physical or digital signature to be valid. The Driver Partner's Acceptance is a valid and binding consent to this Agreement.
27.2 Notices. All notices shall be in writing and sent to the addresses above (or as updated), by email, registered post, courier, or in-app notification. Notices are deemed received on the date of acknowledgment, or, for email/in-app, on the next business day.
27.3 Severability. If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force, and the Parties shall negotiate in good faith a valid replacement reflecting the original intent.
27.4 Waiver. No failure or delay in exercising a right is a waiver. A waiver is effective only if in writing.
27.5 Assignment. The Driver Partner may not assign this Agreement without hailO's prior written consent. hailO may assign this Agreement to an Affiliate or successor at any time without the Driver Partner's consent.
27.6 Entire agreement. This Agreement, together with the Schedules and the policies incorporated under Clause 26, constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties on its subject matter and supersedes all prior discussions.
27.7 Amendments. hailO may amend this Agreement at any time. Continued use of the Platform following the posting of changes constitutes the Driver Partner's acceptance of such changes. It is the Driver Partner's responsibility to periodically review this Agreement for changes.
27.8 Force majeure. Neither Party is liable for failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, epidemics, government action, or internet/telecommunications outages.
27.9 Survival. Clauses 7, 19, 20, 21, 25, 27, and 28, and any accrued obligations, survive termination of this Agreement, for the period stated therein or, where none is stated, for three (3) years. Data-protection obligations under Clause 20 survive for as long as personal data is retained, or as required by applicable law, whichever is longer.
27.10 Stamp duty. The Driver Partner shall bear all stamp duty and incidental charges in relation to this Agreement, in accordance with the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1899 (including by e-stamp), as required for enforceability.
27.11 Remedies cumulative. All remedies available to either Party under this Agreement, statute, or common law are cumulative and not alternative, and may be enforced successively or concurrently.
27.12 Language. This Agreement is executed in the English language. Where any part of this Agreement is explained or translated into Marathi, Hindi, or any other language for the Driver Partner's convenience, the English text shall prevail in the event of any conflict or discrepancy.
28.1 This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of India.
28.2 Subject to Clause 25, the courts at Kolhapur, Maharashtra shall have exclusive jurisdiction over matters not referable to arbitration and over interim relief and enforcement of any arbitral award.
The Driver Partner confirms that:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date first written above.
Witness (optional): Name: _____________________ Signature: _____________________
I, _______________________________, authorised representative for S V SANGHVI TRANSTRADE TECHNO PRIVATE LIMITED, hereby declare that I have personally and thoroughly checked and verified all of the documents set out in Schedule 1, and I confirm that the documents are complete, genuine, and in order for onboarding.
Declaration: I declare that the above information is true and correct. Any change in the above information shall be duly intimated by me to hailO in advance.
Date: _____________________ Name: _____________________ Signature (Driver Partner): _____________________
(Applicable only where the vehicle is not owned by the Driver Partner)
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
I am the owner of the vehicle described in Schedule 3. I hereby authorise the Driver Partner named in this Agreement to engage my vehicle and to enter into this Agreement with S V SANGHVI TRANSTRADE TECHNO PRIVATE LIMITED. I further authorise the Driver Partner to collect any payments or compensation in respect of the Platform Services performed using my vehicle. I confirm that I have no objection to the above arrangement or to any of the commercial transactions with hailO arising from it.
Thanking you,
Vehicle Owner
Date: _____________________
Name: _____________________
Phone Number: _____________________
Signature: _____________________
Effective from 25th July 2026.