Aniket PujariUber Technologies Inc. has named Balaji Krishnamurthy as its new chief financial officer, succeeding Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) regulatory filings show.
Krishnamurthy, 41, has held several leadership roles since joining the company in 2019, most recently serving as vice-president of strategic finance. The transition comes as the ride-hailing giant prepares for a capital-intensive shift toward autonomous vehicle (AV) integration.
The leadership change arrives as India solidifies its position as Uber’s third-largest market. In 2025, users in India logged 11.6 billion km on the platform. While Uber has softened its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions in the US, it continues to invest heavily in the Indian market, recently completing a second investment in Carrum, the CarDekho Group–backed fleet startup, Mint reported earlier. This regional divergence highlights Uber’s strategy of pursuing electrification in the emerging markets, while prioritizing autonomous software in the Western territories.
Uber recently also acquired Belgian startup Segments.ai, which specializes in high-precision data-labeling and multi-sensor annotation, which are critical for training the AI models that power self-driving systems. By integrating Segments.ai into its Uber AI Solutions division, the company is significantly expanding its ability to process LiDAR and camera data in-house. This move aims to reduce the manual effort required to “teach” vehicles how to navigate complex urban environments, moving Uber closer to its goal of facilitating AV trips in 15 cities by late 2026.
A similar strategy is at play in India, Mint reported earlier.
The AV plan impact
Wall Street reacted to the news with caution, as shares fell roughly 6% on Wednesday morning. The decline followed an SEC filing that revealed a weaker-than-expected profit outlook, which the management attributed to increased spending on AV infrastructure.
Krishnamurthy, who holds a board seat at the autonomy startup Waabi, is expected to oversee a more aggressive investment phase. This week, autonomous driving startup Waabi secured $750 million and partnered with Uber.
During the December quarter earnings call, chief executive officer Dara Khosrowshahi outlined a roadmap to facilitate AV trips in 15 global cities by the end of 2026, with a goal to lead the global AV market by 2029. Khosrowshahi noted that autonomy is expected to “amplify” the company’s existing logistics network, despite the immediate pressure on margins.
Krishnamurthy also said the company plans to invest in its AV software partners, work with AV makers by investing equity or via offtake agreements, and “support” the AV infrastructure partners.
The company reported a 20% revenue increase to $14.37 billion for the quarter, driven largely by food delivery demand. However, the incoming CFO emphasized that future free cash flow would be directed toward “positioning Uber to win” in the driverless sector, suggesting a pivot from immediate profit maximization to long-term technical infrastructure.
