'Pay Rs 500, become co-owner': Bharat Taxi's investment model like Amul that became a Rs 1.25L cr giant from Rs 50 contributions

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday launched Bharat Taxi, a cooperative ride-hailing platform that promises drivers a share in profits and ownership of the service.

Speaking at a town hall with cab and auto drivers from Delhi-NCR and Gujarat, Shah said the platform would distribute 80% of its profits to drivers based on kilometres travelled, while the remaining 20% would be retained to build cooperative capital.

“I asked the existing companies whether they had fixed a minimum base rate for drivers. They said no,” Shah said during the interaction. “We will ensure your minimum earnings are protected. Anything earned beyond that should also benefit you.”

The ‘Amul-style’ model

Shah compared Bharat Taxi’s structure to the Amul dairy cooperative, calling it a successful example of a worker-owned business.

“Nearly 36 lakh women invested just Rs 50 each to build Amul into a Rs 1.25 lakh crore organisation,” he said. “In private companies, profits go to owners. In Amul, most profits go back to producers. Bharat Taxi follows the same idea in the mobility sector.”

He said drivers can become co-owners by purchasing a share for Rs 500. As membership expands, drivers will also get representation on the cooperative’s board of directors.

“If any decision goes against drivers, your representative will question it and protect your interests,” Shah added.

Expansion plan and rollout

Shah said the platform aims to onboard up to 15 crore drivers within two years and expand to all cities with municipal corporations within three years. Currently, Bharat Taxi is operating in Delhi-NCR and Rajkot.

He noted that the profit-sharing system would take about three years to fully stabilise and urged drivers to remain patient during the initial phase.

Launched on February 5 with backing from eight major cooperative organisations, Bharat Taxi completed a two-month pilot before its official rollout. The service plans nationwide expansion and aims to compete with major aggregators such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido.

Unlike existing platforms that charge drivers commissions of 25–30%, Bharat Taxi currently does not deduct any commission, positioning itself as a cooperative alternative built around driver ownership and profit sharing.