Opportunities and Challenges of Russian Companies from the Ridetech Industry in Emerging Markets (Cases of Yango, Indrive, Maxim)

This thesis is devoted to the study of opportunities and challenges for Russian companies in the ride-hailing industry in emerging markets, using the examples of Yango, Indrive, and Maxim. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing importance of emerging markets for the international expansion of companies in the ride-hailing industry and the need to analyze business models, success factors, and risks when entering new markets. The aim of the study is to analyze the strategies of internationalization and business competitiveness in the global market using the example of Russian companies from the ride-hailing industry and provide recommendations for adjusting business models and future international launches. To achieve this goal, the objectives are set to study the theory of competitiveness and internationalization, analyze economic effects in the ride-hailing market, characteristics of emerging markets, the experience of internationalization of Russian and global companies, and develop recommendations. The theoretical part of the work examines the classical theory of competitiveness, the features of the ride-hailing business model and its significance in the sharing economy, and the theoretical aspects of international expansion in companies' growth strategies. A comparison of the Uppsala model and the born-global firms model is conducted, and the OLI and LLL frameworks are analyzed. A comprehensive framework is proposed for evaluating the success of internationalization, including the choice of optimal entry timing, entry mode, analysis of barriers, expansion strategies, and product adaptation. The empirical part of the study includes an analysis of emerging markets and the ride-hailing industry, an investigation of the experience of Russian companies Yango, Indrive, Maxim, and their international competitors in entering new markets. Based on the analysis, recommendations are developed for optimizing business models and international expansion strategies. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the development of theoretical concepts of company internationalization in the ride-hailing industry in emerging markets, the analysis of companies' business models, a comprehensive analysis of the experience of Russian companies, and the development of practical recommendations. The results of the study have theoretical and practical significance and can be used by Russian companies in the ride-hailing industry when developing strategies for entering emerging markets. The conclusion summarizes the results of the study, confirming the hypothesis about the prospects of the markets of African and Middle Eastern countries for the expansion of Russian companies in the ride-hailing industry. The importance of combining theoretical concepts and empirical data for a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of internationalization and providing valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners of international business is emphasized.