Parliament Question: Launching of Bharat Taxi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2785 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10th MARCH, 2026 Launching of Bharat Taxi 2785. Shri Subbarayan K: Com. Selvaraj V: Shri Sevaganpathi T.M.: Dr. Sambit Patra: Will the Minister of COOPERATION (सहकारिता मंत्री) be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the government has launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first Cooperative led mobility platform registered under Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 2002, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether this platform will be rolled out in the country, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether it is also true that Bharat Taxi aims to expand to all States and cities in the country during the next two years; (d) whether it is also true that many Memoranda of Understandings have been exchanged with key public and private stakeholders, if so, the details thereof; (e) the manner in which the said platform is likely to benefit the local youth and the unemployed people; (f) whether the Government has conducted any assessment regarding the employment opportunities likely to be generated with the launch of the said platform, if so, the details thereof; (g) the salient features of the said platform as compared to private taxi aggregators; and (h) whether any provisions have been made to encourage the participation of women drivers under the said scheme, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH) (a) The Ministry of Cooperation is committed to empowering cooperatives as instruments of employment generation, social security, and grassroots economic participation. Bharat Taxi is envisaged as a transformative intervention in the mobility sector by placing drivers—referred to as Sarathis—at the centre of ownership, governance, and value creation, thereby offering a sustainable and dignified alternative to aggregator-driven models. “Bharat Taxi” is India’sfirst cooperative-led ride-hailing platform. This is a major milestone in the Government of India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the cooperative sector and promote inclusive, citizen- centric mobility solutions, in line with the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’. 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 and officially launched on 5th February, 2026. (b) & (c) As of now the Bharat Taxi service is functional 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 the country over the next two years. (d) Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed by Bharat Taxi with Paytm, Airports Authority of India, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Traffic Police, National e- Governance Division, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, IFFCO Tokio General Insurance, GMR Group, and State Bank of India. These partnerships are intended to facilitate collaboration across multiple areas, including digital payments, airport and metro connectivity, traffic and transport coordination, e-governance systems, tourism- related travel facilitation, insurance coverage, infrastructure integration, and institutional banking support. Collectively, these initiatives are expected to contribute to the development of a more coordinated and citizen-friendly mobility ecosystem. (e) & (f) The platform aims to provide livelihood and self-employment opportunities, especially for driver-owners, unemployed people, and youth, through a cooperative model. It encourages inclusive growth by strengthens local economies. The initiative is expected to create both direct and indirect employment opportunities. As it grows, it will engage various stakeholders in implementation, logistics, community engagement, and service delivery, thereby creating avenues for livelihood and self-employment, depending on the scale of participation and the pace of its growth. (g) The Bharat Taxi platform operates on zero-commission model, with direct distribution of profits to drivers, offering a homegrown and indigenous alternative to investment-driven aggregator platforms. Bharat Taxi has transparent fare structure, a user-friendly mobile ride- booking interface, real-time vehicle tracking, and support for multilingual interfaces, along with 24/7 customer support to enhance accessibility. The platform also provides secure and verified onboarding promoting inclusive mobility. (h) Bharat Taxi has launched women-focused initiatives such as ‘Bike Didi’ and ‘Sarthi Didi’ to promote greater participation of women in India’s first cooperative ride-hailing service. Women’s participation is further encouraged through targeted outreach, skill development and training, financial assistance, safety measures, and preferential onboarding, along with collaboration with women self-help groups and cooperative institutions. *****