India has officially launched Bharat Taxi, the country’s first cooperative taxi service, designed to challenge private cab giants like Ola and Uber. The initiative aims to give drivers full control over their earnings while offering passengers a transparent, government-backed alternative to private platforms.

Developed by the Union Ministry of Cooperation in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bharat Taxi seeks to ensure that drivers become co-owners and shareholders in the service, promoting both financial inclusion and fair competition.

Unlike private aggregators that take a large portion of drivers’ earnings as commission, Bharat Taxi allows drivers to keep 100 per cent of their income. They can also buy shares and become members of the cooperative, giving them a say in the platform’s operations.

The new model focuses on driver welfare and passenger affordability. Passengers will benefit from transparent and predictable fares, with no surge pricing during peak hours.

The first phase of Bharat Taxi will roll out in November 2025 in Delhi, with around 5,000 drivers, both men and women, taking part. These drivers, called Saarthis (meaning “charioteers”), will form the core of the initiative’s early operations.

Over the next year, the service plans to expand to 20 cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Bhopal.

Bharat Taxi will be fully integrated with national digital platforms like DigiLocker and UMANG, making verification and service access easier for both drivers and passengers.

The government believes that Bharat Taxi will not only make cab travel fairer and more affordable but also bring greater transparency and dignity to the lives of thousands of drivers.