Lok Sabha Question No. 2785 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: Launching of Bharat Taxi
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Dr. Sambit Patra, Shri  Selvaganapathi T.M., Com. Selvaraj V, Shri Subbarayan K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2785 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th  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?

## A NSWER

## 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's

first  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 5 th 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 eGovernance 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,  tourismrelated  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. B harat Taxi has transparent fare structure, a user-friendly mobile ridebooking 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.