ETtech Explainer: Bharat Taxi launch and how it could change the market

India has launched Bharat Taxi, the country’s first government-backed cooperative taxi service, which could rival private ride-hailing companies like Ola and Uber and shake up the domestic market by offering drivers a commission-free model.

What is Bharat Taxi?

Bharat Taxi is India’s first government-backed, driver-owned cooperative taxi service. It aims to provide fair income to drivers and affordable rides for passengers by replacing high commissions with a fixed membership fee.


How does it work?

Breaking away from the commission model. Bharat Taxi charges drivers a nominal membership fee, allowing them to keep 100% of their earnings.

Pricing for customers is rules-based and is supervised to avoid surge pricing and arbitrary cancellations.

The platform is operated by a multi-state cooperative, allowing drivers to weigh in on policies and governance.

When and where will Bharat Taxi launch?

The pilot is scheduled to start in November 2025 in Delhi with around 650 driver-owner vehicles.

After successful testing, the plan is to expand the service to around 20 cities nationwide by December 2025 and to include 100,000 drivers by 2030.

Who runs Bharat Taxi?

The cooperative, Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, is managed by a board including cooperative leaders and driver representatives. Jayen Mehta, managing director of Amul, is the chairman, and Rohit Gupta from the National Cooperative Development Corporation, the vice-chairman. The initiative is backed by eight major cooperatives, including IFFCO, Amul, NABARD, and NCDC.