Coming hot on the heels of government-backed ride-hailing app Bharat Taxi, NEMBharat is set to be launched in the national capital on Friday. Unlike rivals, NEMBharat is positioning itself as a zero-commission and zero-subscription cab hailing service. NEMBharat or National Economic Mobility for Bharat (India) is the consumer-facing brand of homegrown mobility firm World Economic Mobility Ltd.
The drivers will get 100 per cent of the earnings from every trip, not as a limited-period incentive, but as a permanent structural arrangement, said Deepak Kumar Shah, director and chief executive officer, NEMBharat, speaking exclusively with Business Standard. The company will generate revenue only by charging a variable convenience or booking fee from customers, which would be in the range of ~1 to 12, he added.
The company’s pre-paid ride-booking model would require customers to pay the platform in advance for ride bookings. Driver cancellations will result in a 25 per cent deduction, while customer cancellations will lead to a 35 per cent cut.
Shah shared that NEMBharat has onboarded 830 vehicles for outstation travel and 180 vehicles for local commutes in Delhi. “So far, nearly 1,000 drivers and around 3,200 customers have registered on the platform,” he added.
For the new ride-hailing entrant, Delhi NCR launch marks the first phase of the company’s planned expansion into other urban markets across India. The company plans to expand its fleet to 70,000 vehicles in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) by the end of this calendar year. The cab hailing platform will bypass fleet providers completely to establish direct contact with its drivers, Shah stated.
The company also introduced a safety framework including mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) checks of both drivers and passengers, SOS functionality, and a structured incident response mechanism.
“With NEMBharat, the objective is not just to create another ride-hailing service, but to demonstrate that a fair system for drivers also creates a better experience for passengers,” said the company’s chief operating officer, Kanchi Sharma.
