“As and when things materialise, we will increase our presence. We are expanding into Lucknow and Chandigarh by the end of this month,” Rohit Gupta, vice chairperson of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd (STCL), told Business Standard exclusively. While STCL is the organisation’s name, Bharat Taxi is its consumer-facing platform or brand.
Following its entry into Lucknow and Chandigarh, the company is also likely to expand to nearby areas, including Panchkula and Mohali, while also eyeing further expansion within Uttar Pradesh into cities such as Kanpur.
Bharat Taxi is currently operational in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad in NCR, and in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Somnath, and Dwarka districts of Gujarat.
Recently, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah stated, “Bharat Taxi targets to expand its service in a phased manner across Tier-II and Tier-III cities, offering services up to the tehsil level across the country over the next three years.”
In terms of competition, across all categories, Rapido recorded more than three crore rides last month in NCR. For both Rapido and Uber, NCR is one of the top five cities that witness the highest ride volumes each month.
Currently, Bharat Taxi has around 2.6 lakh registered drivers (Sarathis, as it calls them), with approximately 30,000 rides being completed daily across NCR and Gujarat, indicating early traction in its initial markets. As on March 1, there were 21.34 lakh registered users on the platform.
Instead of charging commissions per ride, the platform has recently adopted a subscription-led model for drivers. The per-day subscription charges vary across vehicle categories such as bikes, autos, and cabs. As a result, the platform’s primary revenue is set to come from driver subscriptions. The company is also leveraging its association with the Delhi Police to build trust and standardise driver training.
The cooperative-led platform, which has positioned itself as a low-cost alternative in the country’s crowded ride-hailing market, was launched in February this year after a successful pilot testing phase that began in December 2025. Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, STCL follows a model where drivers can become owners of the cooperative society, have representation in the board of management, and participate in profit-sharing.
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Likely to expand to Panchkula and Mohali, while also eyeing further growth in UP -
Currently has around 260,000 registered drivers, with about 30,000 rides being completed daily across Delhi NCR, Gujarat -
Has recently adopted a subscription-led model for drivers -
Also leveraging its association with the Delhi Police to build trust and standardise driver training
