Bharat Taxi was launched in Pune on Sunday as a cooperative-based alternative to existing app-based cab aggregators, with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah saying drivers would become members and owners of the platform rather than functioning only as service providers.
Speaking at the launch event, Shah said taxi drivers working with private companies had long faced commission deductions that reduced their take-home income. He said Bharat Taxi was designed to address that concern by transferring the entire earnings of drivers, referred to as ‘Sarathis’, directly into their bank accounts without commission deductions.
The platform operates through Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, a multi-state cooperative society. Under the model presented at the launch, Sarathis will participate in the ownership and functioning of the enterprise. Share certificates were also presented to drivers during the programme to mark their participation in the cooperative structure.
The Pune launch is part of a planned expansion across Maharashtra. Shah said Bharat Taxi would be extended to Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur and Solapur after its launch in Pune. The service has also been made available for travel between Mumbai and Pune, according to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar.
Pawar said nearly 32,000 Sarathis were connected with Bharat Taxi in Pune. She also highlighted ‘Sarathi Didi’, a facility intended to increase women’s participation in the transport sector by supporting women drivers. The report said eligible drivers registered on the e-Shram portal could receive health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said Bharat Taxi had approximately 10 lakh registered Sarathis and 60 lakh registered customers nationally, with around 20,000 rides taking place daily. These figures were cited at the event and indicate the scale at which the cooperative platform is seeking to operate as it expands into more cities.
Unlike conventional ride-hailing platforms, where drivers primarily provide services to a private company, Bharat Taxi’s stated model gives drivers a formal stake in the cooperative. Its performance in Pune will depend on the availability of vehicles, passenger adoption, driver participation and the platform’s ability to compete with established ride-hailing services. The next expansion is expected to cover Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur and Solapur.
