In a landmark development for India’s mobility and cooperative sectors, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated Bharat Taxi — the country’s first ride-hailing platform structured as a cooperative owned and operated by the drivers themselves — at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on February 5, 2026.

Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, Bharat Taxi represents a pioneering model in the gig economy, placing drivers — referred to as “Sarathis” — at the heart of the ownership and value-creation process. Unlike conventional aggregator platforms that charge significant commissions and employ dynamic surge pricing, Bharat Taxi promises zero commissions and surge-free fares, directing a greater share of earnings directly to drivers.

Addressing the launch event, Mr. Shah emphasised that the initiative is not a government enterprise entering the taxi market, but rather a driver-centric cooperative movement designed to uplift taxi workers across the country. He noted that the platform is currently operational in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat, with plans to expand nationwide within the next three years, spanning from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari and Dwarka to Kamakhya.

“In this system, every driver — every Sarathi — is the owner of their taxi. This cooperative model will work for the benefit of the Sarathi community and redefine mobility services in India,” Mr. Shah said at the event.

The cooperative model challenges the prevailing corporate ride-hailing paradigm dominated by players like Uber, Ola, and Rapido, whose commission-based approaches often leave drivers with reduced take-home earnings. Bharat Taxi pledges to eliminate agent fees and opaque pricing by providing a stable fare mechanism that benefits both drivers and consumers.

Industry insiders highlight that the pilot operations — initiated in December 2025 — have already seen robust engagement, with over 3 lakh drivers reportedly joining the platform and more than 10,000 daily rides in the early operational phase. A portion of revenue has been directly distributed to drivers, with several cooperative support centres established in key locations to assist operational needs and social security provisions.

Beyond transportation, Bharat Taxi aims to strengthen the broader cooperative ecosystem in India by demonstrating how collective membership and democratic governance can deliver economic agency to gig workers, a demographic often critiqued for precarious earnings and limited bargaining power. As the service evolves, it will be closely watched for its ability to genuinely disrupt the ride-hailing sector while maintaining sustainable operations and member satisfaction.

The launch of Bharat Taxi marks a potentially transformative moment for India’s gig economy and public policy. By centring drivers as stakeholders rather than contractors, the platform could redefine labour-market relations in app-based services, mitigate exploitative revenue practices, and introduce a viable, homegrown alternative to dominant multinational aggregators. If successful, the cooperative model may set a precedent for other sectors seeking more equitable and participatory frameworks in the digital economy.