STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday formally launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first co-operative ride-hailing platform, aimed at empowering drivers through collective ownership and fair profit distribution. The service will initially operate in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat, with plans to expand pan-India within the next three years.
Speaking at the launch event, held at Delhi, Shah emphasised that Bharat Taxi is a unique platform in which drivers are not merely service providers but owners. “From today, Bharat Taxi has been commercially launched in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. Within three years, the service will be available in all states. Nobody should have any doubt about this,” he said. “You will be the driver, and you will be the owner of Bharat Taxi platform. The profit will be shared directly with the drivers.”
Bharat Taxi has been established by India’s top eight co-operative organisations, including Amul (GCMMF), NAFED, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NABARD, NDDB, NCEL, and NCDC. The platform is operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, registered in June 2025 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. It aims to provide affordable, safe and efficient mobility services while ensuring fair income, social security, and dignified livelihoods for drivers.
The platform operates on a zero-commission, surge-free pricing model, ensuring that drivers retain the majority of their earnings. According to Shah, Rs 80 out of every Rs 100 earned goes directly to drivers, while the remaining Rs 20 is retained within the cooperative for shared ownership and operational expenses. “Unlike other ride-hailing platforms, Bharat Taxi does not deduct any commission or hidden charges. The drivers’ prosperity will increase rapidly, and payments are transferred directly and instantly into their accounts,” he added.
The service allows customers to book cars, three-wheelers, and two-wheelers, and is positioned as an indigenous alternative to foreign-investment-based platforms like Uber, Ola, and Rapido. The initiative also focuses on women’s safety, with a dedicated feature called ‘Sarathi Didi’, enabling women passengers to be picked up exclusively by women drivers.
Shah highlighted the platform’s core objectives: ownership, security cover, dignity, and “Everyone’s Wheel, Everyone’s Progress”, which ensures equitable profit distribution. He noted that more than 2.5 lakh drivers in Delhi-NCR have already joined Bharat Taxi, along with 8.5 lakh passengers. Insurance coverage, including personal accident and health policies, is being provided through IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Company.
The Minister underscored that the government itself is not entering the taxi sector, but rather the co-operative movement is entering it, giving drivers full authority over operations. Two driver representatives, elected by their peers, will serve on the platform’s board to ensure democratic governance and transparency.
Bharat Taxi has also entered into MoUs with nine major institutions, including Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Airport Authority, IFFCO Tokio Insurance, and State Bank of India, to strengthen its operations and ensure regulatory compliance.
Shah added that the co-operative model has already influenced other ride-hailing services, with competitors reducing commissions and offering customer incentives following the pilot operations of Bharat Taxi. He asserted that this model could become a major vehicle for driver welfare across the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, ensuring that the “wheel of taxis runs for the prosperity of drivers, not for someone else’s profit.”
The launch of Bharat Taxi marks a historic step in promoting driver ownership, fair income distribution, and cooperative entrepreneurship in India’s mobility sector, blending technology with social equity. Shah hinted that similar co-operative ventures would be introduced in other sectors in the coming years, continuing the mission of empowering stakeholders through collective ownership and participation.