Bharat Taxi’, a cooperative-based ride-hailing app designed to place taxi drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers and bike taxi operators at the centre of the platform’s profits and decision-making
In a new move to reshape India’s mobility ecosystem, the Union government is preparing to launch ‘Bharat Taxi’, a cooperative-based ride-hailing app designed to place taxi drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers and bike taxi operators at the centre of the platform’s profits and decision-making.
Announcing the initiative, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said the app is expected to be rolled out within the next one to two months, with the explicit aim of ending the long-standing dependence of commercial vehicle drivers on private ride-hailing companies. Unlike platforms such as Ola and Uber, which typically charge drivers a 20–30 per cent commission per ride, Bharat Taxi will operate on a zero-commission model, ensuring drivers retain most, and in many cases all, of their earnings.
“This is a large section of our workforce—taxi drivers, auto drivers and youth using motorcycles as taxis—where profits are going to platform owners instead of the people doing the work,” Shah said while addressing a conference organised by Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) in Panchkula. “Through the Ministry of Cooperation, we will bring Bharat Taxi, where every penny of profit will go to the drivers.”
Bharat Taxi will function as a driver-owned cooperative. Instead of being employees or contractual partners of a private company, drivers will collectively own and operate the platform. Depending on the membership plan chosen, drivers will retain between 80 and 100 per cent of their earnings. There will be no per-ride deductions; instead, drivers will pay nominal daily, weekly or monthly membership fees, with earnings settled through monthly credits to provide greater income predictability.
Beyond higher take-home pay, drivers will also receive insurance coverage. Taxis operating under the platform will carry advertisements, creating an additional revenue stream for cooperative members. Government officials believe this model will not only increase driver incomes but also generate new employment opportunities, particularly for young people entering the mobility sector.
No Surge Pricing, Wider Access
For passengers, Bharat Taxi promises transparent and predictable pricing. The app will not use surge pricing, a frequent complaint against existing ride-hailing platforms during peak hours or emergencies.
The service will support cabs, auto-rickshaws and bike taxis, widening access across income groups and urban layouts. The app will be available on both Android and iOS platforms and will feature a multilingual interface, including Hindi, English and several regional languages. Officials said fares are expected to be lower than those of private operators, especially during high-demand periods, as there is no commission pressure built into pricing.
Safety and Accountability
Bharat Taxi will include standard safety features such as GPS-based live ride tracking, an emergency SOS button, verified driver profiles and the option for passengers to share real-time trip details with family members or emergency contacts.
Expressing confidence in the initiative, Amit Shah said Bharat Taxi could soon emerge as India’s largest taxi-operating platform—driven not by venture capital, but by the collective strength of its drivers.
