Amit Shah, a union minister, releases the "Bharat Taxi" app

Amit Shah Launches ‘Bharat Taxi’ App to Boost Driver Welfare Through Cooperative Model

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched the Bharat Taxi app, India’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, aimed at strengthening driver participation, eliminating commissions, and improving social security for taxi drivers nationwide.

Speaking at the launch event, Shah said the Sahkar Taxi initiative is designed to become a key welfare mechanism for drivers, with participation from around 8 lakh ‘Sarathi’ (driver) representatives and several cooperative bodies.

“This Sahkar Taxi will become a very significant means for the welfare of our taxi Sarathis — from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Dwarka to Kamakhya — across the entire country within three years,” Shah said.

Cooperative, driver-first model

Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, Bharat Taxi was established on June 6, 2025, and positions itself as an indigenous alternative to foreign-backed ride-hailing aggregators.

The platform operates on a:

• Zero-commission model

• No surge pricing policy

• Direct profit distribution to drivers

Unlike many private aggregators, drivers are not bound by exclusivity clauses and are free to operate on other platforms.

Focus on social security

Bharat Taxi aims to prioritise driver welfare through:

• Health insurance

• Accident insurance

• Retirement savings

• Dedicated driver support systems

• Emergency assistance and verified ride data

Support centres are currently operational at seven key locations in Delhi.

Women participation and growth

To promote women’s empowerment, the platform has launched initiatives such as “Bike Didi”, with more than 150 women drivers joining so far.

Since launch, the app has gained significant traction:

• Over 3 lakh drivers onboarded

• More than 1 lakh registered users

• Around 10,000 rides daily in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat

• Nearly ₹10 crore disbursed directly to drivers

The company describes itself as the world’s largest cooperative-based, driver-owned mobility platform.

Nationwide expansion plans

Over the next two years, Bharat Taxi plans to expand across all states, establish support centres nationwide, and integrate with India’s digital public infrastructure to build a sustainable and inclusive mobility ecosystem.

More than 1,200 drivers from across the country are expected to participate in the launch programme, highlighting growing confidence in the cooperative model.

With Bharat Taxi, the government is betting that a cooperative ownership structure can offer a fairer alternative to traditional ride-hailing platforms while improving income stability and benefits for drivers.