Bharat Taxi: India’s First Driver-Owned Ride-Hailing App

India is set to see a major shake-up in the ride-hailing sector with the launch of Bharat Taxi, a nationwide mobility app offering drivers a cooperative-owned alternative to platforms like Uber, Ola, and Rapido.

Cooperation Minister Amit Shah confirmed the update in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

A Driver-Owned Platform

Unlike private ride-hailing apps that charge high commissions and control fares, Bharat Taxi is run by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, a multi-state cooperative fully owned by driver-members under the MSCS Act, 2002.

The cooperative has no government stake.

Currently, it has over 51,000 registered drivers in New Delhi and Saurashtra, making it the world’s largest driver-owned mobility cooperative even at the beta stage.

Minister Amit Shah highlighted that the platform aims to free commercial vehicle drivers from dependence on private companies, giving them full control over earnings and decision-making.

Key benefits for drivers include:

Keeping 100% of fares

Annual dividends and profit-sharing

Representation on the cooperative board

Transparent, community-driven decisions

Soft Launch in Delhi and Gujarat

The Bharat Taxi app has started beta trials on the Google Play Store with soft launches in Delhi and Gujarat.

An iOS version is expected soon.

The platform integrates multiple vehicle types, including:

Two-wheelers

Auto-rickshaws

Taxis

Four-wheelers

This multi-vehicle approach helps cover both first-mile and last-mile connectivity, creating a unified mobility experience across India.

Safety and Transparency at the Core

The app is designed to prioritize user safety and cooperative transparency.

Key features include:

Simple ride booking with a clean interface

Transparent cooperative-based fare system

Real-time vehicle tracking

24×7 multilingual customer support

Verified onboarding of drivers and passengers

Safety integration with Delhi Police

Backed by India’s Largest Cooperatives

Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Ltd was formed on June 6, 2025, by eight major cooperative institutions:

NCDC

IFFCO

GCMMF (Amul)

NABARD

NDDB

NCEL

Kribhco

The platform is fully funded by the cooperative ecosystem, giving it strong financial backing without any government stake.

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