(Yicai) June 3 -- Didi Global’s loss widened in the first quarter as the Chinese ride-hailing giant nearly doubled its sales and marketing spending.

Didi’s net loss was CNY1.2 billion (USD177.4 million) in the three months ended March 31, versus a CNY338 million (USD50 million) loss in the prior quarter and a CNY2.4 billion profit a year earlier, the Beijing-based firm’s financial report showed yesterday. Costs related to sales and marketing soared 96 percent year on year to CNY5.1 billion after a surge in consumer incentives.

Revenue rose 10 percent to CNY58.7 billion (USD8.7 billion), primarily thanks to a 21 percent increase in gross transaction value at Didi’s core platform to CNY123.3 billion (USD18.2 billion), with international GTV soaring 60 percent to CNY37.6 billion. Its China mobility business logged over 3.5 billion orders.

“In the first quarter, our China mobility business reached a new record high, while our international business achieved robust growth," said Will Cheng, Didi founder and chief executive. "We launched our AI ride assistant and leveraged our AI capabilities to upgrade our safety management system.

"We also expanded our offline service infrastructure, deepened our service categories to build our branded services, and upgraded our membership program, in order to ensure a safer and more hassle-free travel experience for our users, while enabling drivers who deliver excellent service to earn higher incomes," Cheng noted.

Didi's operations and support expenses rose 22 percent to CNY2.2 billion, led by third-party customer service and driver operation costs. In addition, research and development expenses jumped 26 percent to CNY2.4 billion, mainly due to an increase in personnel-related costs.

"We remain highly confident in the future development of our international business, and will continue to strengthen our global presence by deepening our commitment to localized services," Cheng added. “We're increasing our investment in autonomous driving technologies to accelerate deployment in both China and international markets, working hand in hand with various partners to create long-term value for both the industry and society."

Didi's international business spans 14 countries and regions across Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and Africa, offering local users mobility, food delivery, and financial services, with the number of active users exceeding 100 million.

Editor: Martin Kadiev