Bharat Taxi: Cooperative Ride-Hailing Explained

Why in News?

Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, has gained attention as a new model of urban mobility that combines digital technology, driver ownership and cooperative governance.As of 25 July 2026, Bharat Taxi had nearly 8 lakh registered Sarathis and around 41 lakh registered customers across several cities. The platform aims to expand across India by 2029.

About Bharat Taxi

• Bharat Taxi is India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform. It was established on 6 June 2025 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
• The platform is based on the idea of “Saarthi Hi Maalik”, meaning the driver is not merely a service provider but also a stakeholder in the platform.
• It reflects the broader vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi”, which seeks to use cooperatives for economic participation, employment generation and inclusive growth.

Foundation and Cooperative Ownership Model

• Bharat Taxi was formed by eight national-level cooperative institutions:
• National Cooperative Development Corporation
• IFFCO
• NABARD
• KRIBHCO
• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation / Amul
• NAFED
• National Dairy Development Board
• National Cooperative Export Limited
• The platform places drivers, called Sarathis, within a cooperative framework. Sarathis can become member-owners by subscribing to the cooperative’s share capital.
• Shares are valued at ₹100 each, and a Sarathi can obtain ownership rights by purchasing shares worth ₹500.
• The cooperative model also provides representation to Sarathi members in the Board of Directors, ensuring that drivers’ interests are reflected in decision-making.

Zero-Commission Financial Model

• Bharat Taxi follows a zero-commission and surge-free pricing model.
• Unlike conventional ride-hailing platforms, it does not charge drivers a commission on every ride. Instead, it follows a subscription-based cooperative model, allowing drivers to retain full fare earnings.
• Passengers pay the applicable fare based on distance, time and market conditions. The app does not charge additional convenience fees, platform fees or surge pricing.

Under the scheme:

• 20% of cooperative earnings are credited to Bharat Taxi as Sarathis’ capital
• 80% is distributed among Sarathis based on kilometres travelled
• 7% service charge is levied only at Bharat Taxi-operated airport prepaid booths

This model aims to create a fairer earnings structure for drivers while keeping fares transparent for passengers.

Growing Footprint Across India

As of 25 July 2026, Bharat Taxi had:

• nearly 8 lakh registered Sarathis
• around 41 lakh registered customers

The service is operational in:

• Delhi-NCR
• Gujarat
• Lucknow
• Chandigarh
• Mumbai
• Jaipur
• Kanpur
• Pune

Operations are planned in Ranchi, Patna, Guwahati, Bhopal, Kolkata, Indore and Nagpur in the coming months. The platform aims for nationwide expansion by 2029.

Services and Digital Features

• Bharat Taxi provides multiple ride options through its application.

Available ride categories include:

• Bike Taxi
• Auto
• Economy Cab
• Premium Sedan
• XL Cab / SUV
• Rentals
• Out-station travel
• Scheduled rides
• Passengers can book rides through the app, while drivers can register as Sarathis through the app or website by submitting required documents.
• The platform also operates prepaid booths at selected airports for direct ride booking.

Women-Centric Mobility and Safety

• Bharat Taxi has introduced the Sarathi Didi feature to improve safety and accessibility for women commuters. It allows women passengers to choose rides operated by women drivers.
• The platform has also launched the Bike Didi initiative to encourage women’s participation in the transport sector. As of February 2026, more than 150 women drivers had joined under this initiative.
• These features support both women’s safety and women’s livelihood generation in the urban mobility sector.

Safety and Secure Travel

Bharat Taxi includes several safety features:

• police integration
• control-room monitoring
• KYC verification of drivers
• periodic background checks
• safety training
• live ride tracking
• SOS support
• driver ratings

Safety ratings are regularly reviewed to ensure that only trained and verified drivers remain active on the platform.

Digital Integration and Partnerships

Bharat Taxi has signed an MoU with the National e-Governance Division under the Digital India framework.

This enables integration with national digital platforms such as:

• DigiLocker
• UMANG
• API Setu

These integrations support paperless onboarding, secure digital verification, interoperable digital operations and cashless payments.

Bharat Taxi has also partnered with institutions such as Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Airport Authority, IFFCO Tokio Insurance, State Bank of India and Paytm.

Social Security for Sarathis

Sarathis are facilitated to register on the e-Shram portal, which creates a national database of unorganised workers.

After registration, Sarathis and their families can become eligible for free medical treatment up to ₹5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Additional welfare support includes:

• personal accident insurance of ₹5 lakh through IFFCO Tokio at nominal rates
• advisory support for long-term driver welfare
• group health insurance support through Paytm partnership

This is significant because platform workers often face income insecurity and lack of formal social protection.

Significance of Bharat Taxi

1. Cooperative Alternative to Platform Capitalism

Bharat Taxi offers a driver-owned model in a sector generally dominated by private app-based platforms.

2. Better Earnings for Drivers

The zero-commission model allows Sarathis to retain full ride earnings, improving income security.

3. Democratic Governance

Drivers participate as cooperative members and have representation in the Board of Directors.

4. Transparent Pricing for Passengers

Surge-free pricing and advance fare estimates improve predictability and consumer trust.

5. Social Security for Gig Workers

Linkage with e-Shram, AB-PMJAY and insurance support can improve welfare of urban platform workers.

6. Women’s Participation

Sarathi Didi and Bike Didi promote safe mobility and employment opportunities for women.

7. Digital Public Infrastructure Use

Integration with DigiLocker, UMANG and API Setu shows how public digital systems can support cooperative business models.

Challenges

Bharat Taxi’s success will depend on service reliability, technology performance, driver onboarding, passenger trust and competition with established ride-hailing platforms.

Maintaining zero-commission sustainability while ensuring app quality, customer support, safety monitoring and insurance benefits will require strong financial planning.

The platform must also ensure that cooperative governance remains transparent and participatory as it expands nationally.

Way Forward

1. Strengthen Driver Participation

Sarathis should be actively involved in local-level governance and feedback mechanisms.

2. Ensure Reliable Service Quality

Timely rides, fair pricing, grievance redressal and passenger safety must remain central.

3. Expand Women-Led Mobility

Sarathi Didi and Bike Didi should be scaled with training, safety support and financial assistance.

4. Deepen Social Security Coverage

All registered Sarathis should be linked with e-Shram, health insurance, accident insurance and welfare schemes.

5. Improve Digital Infrastructure

App performance, payment systems, live tracking and control-room integration must be strengthened.

6. Build City-Level Partnerships

Partnerships with airports, metro systems, traffic police and urban local bodies can improve last-mile connectivity.

Conclusion

Bharat Taxi represents an important experiment in India’s digital platform economy. By combining cooperative ownership, zero-commission earnings, digital public infrastructure, social security and inclusive mobility, it offers a possible alternative to conventional ride-hailing models. Its long-term success will depend on operational efficiency, transparent governance, passenger trust and sustained welfare support for Sarathis. If implemented effectively, Bharat Taxi can become a model for cooperative urban mobility under the vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi.