As private cab aggregators face increasing criticism from both commuters and drivers, the Indian government’s bold new initiative ‘Bharat Taxi’ is preparing for an imminent debut. Positioned as the country’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, Bharat Taxi aims to redefine urban mobility by putting drivers at the centre while ensuring safety, transparency, and affordability for passengers.

A New Chapter in Public Mobility

Developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bharat Taxi will roll out its pilot operations in Delhi in November 2025, followed by a nationwide launch in December.

As of October 2025, over 1,200 drivers have completed onboarding and platform training in Delhi, nearly double the initial estimate. The cooperative has also finalized local partnerships with Delhi Metro and several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to integrate last-mile connectivity.

Expansion plans are progressing rapidly, with recruitment already underway in Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Jaipur. The cooperative targets over 6,500 registered drivers by mid-2026.

This initiative forms a key component of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (prosperity through cooperation) mission, which aims to promote cooperative models across different sectors. The government views Bharat Taxi as a strategic step to challenge the dominance of private players such as Ola and Uber, while addressing persistent issues in the gig economy like high commissions, job insecurity, and opaque pricing.

The Revolutionary Driver-Centric Model

At the heart of Bharat Taxi’s design is its driver-first ideology. Unlike private aggregators that often charge commissions as high as 25%, Bharat Taxi operates on a zero-commission model. Drivers instead contribute a small subscription or membership fee on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, ensuring they retain the entire fare income.

The cooperative, officially registered as Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, has an authorised capital of Rs 300 crore. Eight prominent cooperative and financial organizations, including NCDC, IFFCO, Amul, and NABARD, have collectively invested around Rs 85 crore (as of October 2025) as seed funding, exceeding the previously stated Rs 80 crore.

To promote inclusivity, the cooperative has launched a dedicated “Sarathi Shakti” programme for women drivers. Female drivers, called “Sarthis”, will receive free training, zero-interest vehicle loans under tie-ups with Canara Bank and NABARD, and enhanced accident insurance coverage. The government has reaffirmed its goal of inducting 15,000 women drivers by 2030.

Governance, Technology and Vision

Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul (GCMMF), continues as Chairman of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, while Rohit Gupta, Deputy MD of NCDC, serves as Vice Chairman. In a first for India’s mobility sector, two elected driver representatives now sit on the board, ensuring democratic decision-making.

The Bharat Taxi mobile app, available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Gujarati, has completed beta testing with about 15,000 early users. Integration with national digital platforms such as DigiLocker, UMANG, and API Setu is complete, ensuring secure user verification and compliance with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently confirmed that the app will also support UPI Lite and Digital Rupee (e₹) transactions, reinforcing digital inclusion.

For passengers, Bharat Taxi promises flat and transparent pricing, real-time driver verification, and enhanced safety tools, including panic buttons directly linked to local police control rooms. The app’s grievance redressal dashboard will be jointly monitored by the cooperative and the NeGD team to ensure accountability.

A Road Toward Equitable Mobility

The establishment of Bharat Taxi represents a historic shift in India’s cooperative and digital governance ecosystem. It embodies the government’s intent to harmonize technology-driven innovation with social fairness, job dignity, and data sovereignty.

By 2030, Bharat Taxi aims to deploy 100,000 drivers spanning both urban and semi-rural areas, closing last-mile connectivity gaps while offering a sustainable livelihood model. The platform will also include EV fleet incentives through the Ministry of Heavy Industries’ revised FAME-II extension, reducing carbon emissions and operational costs.

Through this transformative step, Bharat Taxi moves beyond being a ride-hailing app – it stands as a nationwide experiment in collective ownership, cooperative governance, and ethical technology, marking a pivotal milestone in India’s journey toward equitable and sustainable urban mobility.

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