Parliament Question: Expansion of Bharat Taxi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4000 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17th MARCH 2026 Expansion of Bharat Taxi 4000. Shri Tejasvi Surya: Will the Minister of COOPERATION (सहकारिता मंत्री) be pleased to state: (a) the salient features and objectives of the recently launched Bharat Taxi platform, including its institutional structure, role of cooperative societies and the benefits envisaged for drivers; (b) the financial and operational model of the platform, including the fare determination mechanism, commission structure and Government support, if any; (c) whether the Government has plans to expand the Bharat Taxi platform to other cities, including Bengaluru and Mysuru and, if so, the proposed timeline and the implementation roadmap; (d) whether interoperatability with other mobility aggregators, ONDC and digital payment systems has been enabled or is being planned and if so, the details thereof; and (e) the welfare measures such as insurance, social security and credit support being provided to drivers associated with the platform? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH) (a) In line with Government of India’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ efforts have been made by Ministry of Cooperation to strengthen the cooperative sector and promote inclusive, citizen- centric mobility solutions. Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, Bharat Taxi was established on 6 June 2025 by 8 national level institutions working in field of cooperatives. The salient features of the platform are : i. Cooperative Ownership Model: The platform is structured as a multi-State cooperative society wherein drivers and vehicle owners participate as members and stakeholders, thereby enabling collective ownership and participation in governance.ii. Democratic Governance: The cooperative society is administered through a Board of Directors elected by the members, ensuring participatory decision-making and democratic oversight of operations. In order to ensure effective representation of driver’s interests, two elected driver representatives (“Sarthis”) are included on the Board of Directors. iii. Driver-Centric Platform: The initiative seeks to create a member-owned digital mobility platform as an alternative to commission-based aggregator models, with the objective of enabling drivers to retain their earnings while participating in the ownership of the platform. iv. Affordable and Transparent Services: The platform aims to provide transparent fare structures and affordable mobility services for citizens, with particular emphasis on accessibility for low-income and marginalized groups. v. Digital Mobility Infrastructure: The platform will leverage technology-enabled systems for ride booking, vehicle tracking, digital payments and customer support, thereby ensuring efficiency, transparency and ease of access for users. vi. Driver Welfare and Livelihood Security: The initiative seeks to promote fair income opportunities, social security measures, dignified working conditions and cooperative ownership, thereby strengthening livelihood security for drivers. (b) The financial and operational framework of the Bharat Taxi platform is based on cooperative principles with a driver-centric revenue model. The fare determination mechanism is decided by the cooperative society considering operational costs, distance travelled and prevailing market conditions so as to facilitate the best possible matching between drivers and riders. The pricing mechanism is designed to ensure transparent and regulated fares, with periodic review and communication of fare structures to all stakeholders.No commission is charged by Bharat Taxi from drivers. The cooperative structure ensures that the entire fare amount, after applicable statutory charges, accrues directly to the driver members, thereby maximizing their income and promoting a fair and equitable mobility ecosystem. The Society mobilizes resources through share capital contributions, membership fees and other permissible sources in accordance with cooperative regulations. Government of India has not made any investment in Bharat Taxi and expects it to compete on a level playing field with respect to other aggregators. (c) Bharat Taxi is currently operational in Delhi NCR – Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Somnath & Dwarka of Gujarat. Bharat Taxi targets to expand its service in a phased manner across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities offering services upto tehsil levels across the country over the next three years thereby enhancing access to affordable and cooperative-based mobility services across a wider geographic area. (d) Bharat Taxi platform has been designed as a technology-enabled mobility system supporting digital transactions and integrated service delivery. The architecture of the platform allows for future interoperability with broader mobility ecosystems and digital commerce frameworks where feasible. Bharat Taxi is interoperable via the ONDC network where the supplyof Bharat Taxi is visible in DigiHaat, Bob Rides, and OneTicket mobility demand brands of ONDC. Technically any demand platform (mobility) service which is on the ONDC network can plug in on the Bharat Taxi supply after due permission. (e ) Digital payment options are available through partnership with financial technology providers. Additionally, the platform has entered into Memoranda of Understanding with multiple institutions for digital payment integration, banking and financial services and insurance support to drivers to strengthen operational transparency and driver welfare. ******