Cooperative Drivers Powering Bharat Taxi – India’s First Driver-Owned Ride-Hailing Service"
New Delhi: Government-backed platform promises zero commission for drivers, cleaner rides for passengers, and full earnings ownership through a cooperative model. In a move set to disrupt India’s app-based transport sector, the Central Government has launched “Bharat Taxi”, the country’s first cooperative taxi service, aimed at providing a fair and transparent alternative to private players like Ola and Uber.
Developed under the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), the platform seeks to empower drivers with complete ownership of their earnings while ensuring passengers get reliable, affordable, and regulated rides.
For years, users of private ride-hailing apps have complained about unclean vehicles, arbitrary cancellations, inflated fares, and surge pricing, while drivers have protested high commissions — often losing up to 25% of their income to corporate intermediaries.
Bharat Taxi’s cooperative model intends to change that. Instead of paying commissions, drivers will contribute a nominal membership fee — daily, weekly, or monthly — ensuring greater take-home earnings.
The pilot phase is set to begin in November in Delhi with 650 owner-driven vehicles. Following successful trials, the service will expand nationwide in December, reaching other metro cities. By March 2026, Bharat Taxi aims to operate across several metropolitan regions, and by 2030, the platform plans to include one lakh drivers, extending to district headquarters and rural areas.
The initiative will be operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, established in June 2025 with an initial capital of ₹300 crore. Oversight will be provided by a governing council chaired by Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul (GCMMF), with Rohit Gupta, Deputy Managing Director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), serving as Vice Chairman.
With Bharat Taxi, the government hopes to usher in a new era of cooperative entrepreneurship — one that prioritizes the welfare of drivers while offering citizens a more ethical, affordable, and reliable mobility option.
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