Lok Sabha Question No. 4000 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Expansion of Bharat Taxi
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4000 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  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, citizencentric  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 supply of  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.

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