Govt launches India's first cooperative ride-hailing service Bharat Taxi

The government-backed cooperative ride-hailing service Bharat Taxi has launched in NCR and Gujarat, onboarding 2.5 lakh drivers with a zero-commission, no-surge model

The Ministry of Cooperation on Thursday marked the formal launch of the ambitious ride-hailing service Bharat Taxi in the national capital region and some parts of Gujarat. The zero-commission service is set to compete with ride-hailing firms such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido.

 

In his address, Union cooperation minister Amit Shah said the platform has garnered an overwhelming response and has onboarded more than 2.5 lakh drivers across cars, autos, and bikes, and over 8.5 lakh customers in Delhi’s national capital region (NCR) alone. 

The Sahkar Taxi Cooperative, touted as the world’s first national mobility cooperative owned by drivers, had kickstarted beta consumer trials of the service in December last year, marking its soft launch. 

 

Shah noted that within three years, the service would expand to different parts of the country. “In three years, Bharat Taxi will be rolled out across the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Dwarka to Kamakhya,” he said, adding that there would be no additional fee on the platform, including platform fees, surge fees, or any other hidden charges.

 

“I said that when this cooperative taxi initiative began, we did not realise how big it would become, but in the coming years it will grow across the country and benefit taxi drivers. I clarified that the government is not entering the taxi sector; this is a cooperative initiative, and the taxi drivers themselves are its owners. I emphasised that every driver associated with this cooperative taxi will have ownership, and it will work for their welfare,” the minister added.

 

According to data from the ministry, so far approximately Rs 10 crore has been distributed directly to drivers, and more than 10,000 rides are being completed daily on the platform. In comparison, last year, ride-hailing platform Rapido said it was notching 4.3 million rides per day across its motorbikes, auto rickshaws, and cars, which is triple Ola’s count and about 40 per cent higher than Uber’s. In terms of app downloads on the Google Play Store, while Ola, Uber, and Rapido had over 100 million downloads each, Bharat Taxi so far has over 500,000 downloads.

 

A quick comparison of pricing on Ola, Uber, Rapido, and Bharat Taxi showed that in several locations (such as ITO to Dwarka and ITO to Sector 52), the new cooperative service was, in many instances, priced higher for two-wheelers and three-wheelers. For instance, between ITO and Dwarka, the bike fare was Rs 289 on Ola, Rs 235 on Rapido, Rs 231 on Uber, and Rs 266 on Bharat Taxi. In the case of autos for the same route, the price was Rs 425 on Bharat Taxi, Rs 367 on Ola, Rs 334 on Uber, and Rs 401 on Rapido.

 

While booking a cab service between ITO and the Sector 52 metro station, prices were neither significantly higher nor lower than on other platforms. Ola was priced between Rs 462 and Rs 481, Rapido between Rs 466 and Rs 538, Uber at Rs 537, and Bharat Taxi at Rs 501.

 

The Bharat Taxi mobile application will provide an in-app customer support feature, similar to other platforms, to drivers and customers. In addition, all profits will be transferred directly to drivers, maintaining transparent pricing and ensuring no account blocking without listening to the concerns of both drivers and customers.

 

Meanwhile, Bharat Taxi drivers, called ‘Sarathis’, are members and co-owners of the cooperative; each holds shares and elects leadership. With passenger safety in mind, Bharat Taxi also has ‘Sarathi Didi’, which already has 150 women drivers onboarded.

 

Under the programme, women customers will have the option to choose rides operated by women drivers. In addition, drivers will be able to benefit from government schemes available for gig workers, including a personal accident insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and a family health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.

 

Meanwhile, cab aggregator unions have welcomed the move. Shaik Salauddin of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) said: “We strongly welcome Bharat Taxi as a landmark step towards ending the exploitative commission-based model in ride-hailing services. For the first time, drivers are being recognised as owners, not expendable gig workers. This cooperative model has the potential to restore dignity, ensure fair incomes, and provide long-overdue social security to transport workers.”

 

Bharat Taxi is the country’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, and was established on June 6, 2025.

 

Since Bharat Taxi is a cooperative model, drivers pay a flat access fee rather than per-ride commissions. This model will not have a surge pricing mechanism.

 

Meanwhile, mobility platforms have also welcomed the initiative. A Rapido statement welcomed the launch of Bharat Taxi, referring to it as another addition to the range of mobility options available to the public.

 

“As the mobility ecosystem continues to grow, models that emphasise choice, ease of booking, and dignified earning opportunities for drivers help meet diverse commuter needs across cities. Over the past 24 months, Rapido has been a SaaS-based subscription model that enables auto and cab drivers on the platform to manage fares, rides, and earnings independently, without commissions. Bharat Taxi’s adoption of a similar SaaS-led approach further strengthens Rapido’s long-held view that such models are not just viable but also highly relevant to the future of ride-hailing.”

 

On the other hand, a person aware of developments at Uber said the company provides a range of services and differentiates itself from other players with its tech-enabled support system, customer service, and grievance redressal.

 

Additionally, besides booking instant rides, the Bharat Taxi app also allows users to book metro tickets, as well as rental and intercity rides. Shah added in his address that the app will provide an in-app customer support feature, similar to other platforms, to drivers and customers.