Bharat Taxi Launches, Faces Competition

Bharat Taxi, a government-backed cooperative ride-hailing platform, was formally launched in February 2023, established under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. Cooperation Minister Amit Shah reported to Parliament that the platform is grappling with early-stage hurdles, including stiff competition from established private aggregators such as Ola Consumer and Uber, and resistance to digital adoption among its driver-partners. Bharat Taxi aims to address these challenges through welfare, awareness, training, and improved user experience. The platform operates on a subscription-based, zero-commission model, focusing on driver welfare, social security, and cooperative ownership to maximize earnings retention. As of March 23, it had onboarded approximately 4.31 lakh driver-partners and is operational in Delhi-NCR and three Gujarat cities, with plans for phased expansion across India.