NEW DELHI: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first government-backed ride-hailing platform based on a cooperative ownership model.
Bharat Taxi aims to challenge app-based cab market dominated by Ola and Uber with a model that removes commission fees and surge pricing for drivers and offers lower fares for riders.
According to a government statement, the platform’s fare structure could be up to 30% cheaper than rival services while providing a transparent, regulated pricing mechanism.
“Sarathi Hi Malik—driver is the owner,” Shah said at the launch event, highlighting the platform’s cooperative philosophy and focus on driver empowerment.
Under this model, drivers referred to as ‘sarathis’ are registered members of the cooperative, making them stakeholders in both ownership and profits.
The government has also built social security features into the platform, offering Rs 5 lakh personal accident insurance and Rs 5 lakh family health insurance for each driver, alongside retirement savings options and dedicated support centres in major regions such as Delhi.
Bharat Taxi’s debut comes after a successful pilot phase in the Delhi-NCR and Gujarat regions, where it onboarded over 3 lakh drivers and facilitated thousands of daily rides. The platform is integrated with India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including tools like DigiLocker and UMANG, to streamline operations and verification.