Amit Shah launches India’s first cooperative-based taxi service ‘Bharat Taxi’
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday formally launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative-based taxi service, in New Delhi, marking a new initiative aimed at providing ownership rights and welfare benefits to drivers working in the unorganised sector.
Addressing the launch event, Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Cooperation is developing an ownership-rights model for workers in the unorganised sector. He said that within three years, Bharat Taxi would expand nationwide, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Dwarka to Kamakhya, and emerge as a major platform for the welfare of taxi drivers, referred to as Sarathis.
Shah said that Bharat Taxi is not a government-run service but a cooperative initiative, stressing the distinction between Sahakar (cooperation) and Sarkar (government). He said that for the first time, taxi drivers themselves are the true owners of the platform, with every Sarathi becoming a shareholder in the cooperative.
He said the highest share capital in the cooperative has been capped at ₹500, which gives drivers real ownership rights. Elected representatives of Sarathis will sit on the Board and take decisions on their behalf, which he said reflects the core principle of cooperative institutions.
The Union Minister said that unlike private taxi platforms, Bharat Taxi will not deduct even one percent commission from drivers’ earnings. Customer payments will be transferred directly and immediately into the Sarathi’s bank account. He said the objective of the platform is not to build company capital but to increase the income of its real owners—the drivers.
Shah said the service integrates four-wheelers, three-wheelers and two-wheelers and places special emphasis on women’s safety. He announced the Sarathi Didi feature, under which women passengers can opt to be picked up exclusively by women drivers. He said this initiative would provide women with a safe, affordable and dignified travel option and contribute to women’s safety and self-reliance.
Highlighting the scale of adoption, Shah said that within eight months of its establishment in June 2025, Bharat Taxi has attracted more drivers and customers in Delhi and Gujarat than any other taxi company. In Delhi-NCR alone, over 2.5 lakh drivers have joined the platform, while more than 8.5 lakh passengers have registered.
The Minister said Bharat Taxi has signed Memorandums of Understanding with nine major institutions, including Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Airports Authority of India (AAI), State Bank of India (SBI), IFFCO Tokio Insurance, Paytm, and GMR. These partnerships aim to improve operational integration, digital payments, insurance coverage, financing, airport mobility and last-mile connectivity.
Under the MoU with Delhi Traffic Police, Bharat Taxi will operate prepaid taxi booths at 21 locations in Delhi and run a Joint Command and Control Centre for real-time monitoring, SOS alerts and emergency response. Agreements with DMRC and AAI will facilitate last-mile connectivity at metro stations and regulated operations at airports across the country.
Shah said Sarathis associated with Bharat Taxi will also be able to register on the e-Shram portal and access social security benefits, including free health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, along with eligibility for other government schemes for gig workers.
He said the cooperative model would be expanded to more sectors in the future, ensuring that the benefits of labour remain with the workers themselves. The four guiding principles of Bharat Taxi, he said, are ownership, security cover, dignity and “Everyone’s Wheel, Everyone’s Progress.”
The launch was marked by a rally of 100 cars from Indira Gandhi International Airport to Vigyan Bhawan, with participation from more than 1,200 Sarathis from different states. During the event, top-performing drivers were felicitated and provided accident and health insurance coverage.
Shah said Bharat Taxi will initially operate in select cities in Gujarat and Delhi-NCR and expand nationwide over the next three years, adding new services and strengthening the cooperative taxi ecosystem.
