New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch India’s first cooperative-sector ride-hailing service, “Bharat Taxi,” on February 5 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The initiative, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi,’ aims to promote inclusive, citizen-centric mobility while strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.
Bharat Taxi has been conceived as a driver-owned and driver-led mobility platform, marking a shift from conventional aggregator-based models. Under the guiding principle of ‘Sarathi Hi Malik,’ drivers, known as Sarathis, are not just service providers but also stakeholders and owners in the cooperative, ensuring equitable profit-sharing and greater economic security.
During the launch programme, the top six performing Sarathis since the platform’s soft launch will be honoured. They will receive share certificates, reinforcing their ownership in the cooperative, along with a personal accident insurance cover of ₹5 lakh and a family health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh. The initiative underscores a strong focus on driver welfare, social security, and long-term financial stability.
The event will also witness the exchange of nine Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with key public and private partners to strengthen operational integration, digital empowerment, safety measures, and service delivery.
Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, Bharat Taxi was established on June 6, 2025. It operates on a zero-commission, surge-free pricing model, with profits distributed directly among drivers. The platform is positioned as an indigenous alternative to foreign-funded ride-hailing aggregators and prioritises transparency and fairness.
Special emphasis has been placed on women’s safety and empowerment through initiatives such as ‘Sarathi Didi’ and ‘Bike Didi,’ under which more than 150 women drivers have already joined the platform. Bharat Taxi also offers health and accident insurance, retirement savings options, emergency assistance, verified ride data, and a non-exclusive working model that allows drivers to operate on other platforms as well.
Since its inception, Bharat Taxi has expanded rapidly, with more than three lakh drivers onboarded, over one lakh registered users, and more than 10,000 rides being completed daily across Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. Around ₹10 crore has already been distributed directly to drivers. The platform currently operates support centres at seven locations in Delhi.
Described as the world’s first and largest cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, Bharat Taxi plans to expand nationwide within the next two years. The roadmap includes setting up support centres in every State, enhancing social security measures for drivers, and building a sustainable, inclusive mobility ecosystem aligned with national digital public infrastructure. More than 1,200 Sarathis from across the country are expected to attend the launch event.
