Amit Shah Launches Bharat Taxi, India’s First Cooperative Ride-Hailing App

February 5, 2026

Mumbai: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first ride-hailing service based on a cooperative model, positioning it as a government-backed alternative to app-based aggregators such as Uber, Ola and Rapido.

Backed by the Ministry of Cooperation and operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, Bharat Taxi has been introduced as a driver-owned mobility platform aimed at empowering drivers, known as Sarathis, by eliminating exploitative aggregator practices.

Zero-Commission Model in Initial Phase

In its initial phase, Bharat Taxi will follow a zero-commission model, allowing 100 per cent of ride payments to go directly to drivers. At a later stage, the cooperative may retain a fee of around 20 per cent, which, according to the Ministry of Cooperation, will be redistributed to drivers in the form of incentives.

The Ministry said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to promoting cooperative institutions and ensuring fair earnings for drivers.

Fixed Fare Structure Announced

The fare structure has been fixed at Rs 30 for rides up to 4 km, Rs 23 per km for distances between 4 and 12 km, and Rs 18 per km for rides beyond 12 km.

Like other ride-hailing platforms, Bharat Taxi integrates with public transport systems such as the Metro, enabling users to plan multi-modal journeys through a single application. The platform also plans to introduce dedicated pickup and drop zones at airports, with expansion to other transport hubs in the future.

Unlike existing aggregators, Bharat Taxi aims to avoid surge pricing, though dynamic pricing may be applied in specific situations.

Strong Response from Users and Drivers

According to the Ministry of Cooperation, more than 150 women drivers have already joined the platform.

The app has witnessed a strong response following its launch, with around 40,000 to 45,000 new users registering daily over the past two days. A post by the Ministry on social media platform X earlier stated that Bharat Taxi has crossed four lakh registered customers

Available on both Android and iOS platforms, Bharat Taxi was recently ranked ninth on the Google Play Store and thirteenth on Apple’s App Store.

Safety Features Built into the App

Safety features include emergency contact alerts, access to a safety team, and an in-app siren. The registration process requires only basic details such as a mobile number, name and email address.