Bharat Taxi, India's First Cooperative Cab Service To Challenge Ola, Uber

The Centre has launched "Bharat Taxi", India's first cooperative taxi service, designed to directly challenge private players such as Ola and Uber. The initiative, developed under the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), aims to give drivers full ownership of their earnings while offering commuters a government-supervised alternative to private cab aggregators.

For years, complaints about app-based taxi services have mounted from dirty vehicles and inflated fares to arbitrary cancellations and sudden surges in pricing. Many drivers have also voiced discontent over high commission rates charged by companies, often losing up to 25 per cent of their fare revenue.

The new Bharat Taxi platform seeks to change that. Unlike private aggregators, Bharat Taxi drivers will not pay any commission on their rides. Instead, they will operate under a membership model, contributing only a nominal daily, weekly, or monthly fee. The government believes this will allow drivers to earn more.

The pilot phase of Bharat Taxi is set to begin in November in Delhi, with 650 vehicles and their owner-drivers. If successful, the full-scale rollout is scheduled for December, when the service will expand to other major cities.

According to officials, 5,000 drivers, both men and women, will participate in the initial nationwide phase. The service will then progressively extend to 20 cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Jaipur, over the following year.

By March 2026, the government aims to establish Bharat Taxi's operations in several metro regions, and by 2030, the platform is expected to include 1 lakh drivers, reaching district headquarters and rural areas.

Bharat Taxi will function as a cooperative enterprise, not a privately owned corporation. The platform will be operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, established in June 2025 with an initial capital of Rs 300 crore.

Oversight will rest with a newly constituted governing council, chaired by Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, better known for its Amul brand. Rohit Gupta, Deputy Managing Director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), serves as Vice Chairman.