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In a historic step to liberalize the ride-hailing business in India, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah officially launched Bharat Taxi on February 5, 2026, one day. The so-called first collaborative taxi service in India, Bharat Taxi is a driver-owned startup intended to compete with individual giants of the taxiing industry such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido through putting drivers at the heart of the business service.

Bharat Taxi follows the zero-commission model as opposed to traditional aggregators who have high commissions (between 20 and 30%). The drivers, also known as Sarathis, are real co-owners of the platform under the Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, a multi-state cooperative society that was incorporated in June 2025. This implies that drivers continue to receive almost 100 percent of the fare, profit share, and benefits such as insurance, social security, and a voice in operations. Amit Shah is known to have given the vision a famous quote with the motto: Sarathi hi malik (The driver is the owner).

Key Features of Bharat Taxi

• No peak pricing—prices are maintained constant and predictable.
• As low as 30% cheaper than the prices of Ola and Uber (according to early user reviews).
• Services available are cabs (economy, sedan, and XL), autos, and bike taxis.
• Tied to DigiLocker to verify immediately and other digital public infrastructure.
• Great emphasis on safety, passenger transparency, and driver welfare.

It started with a pilot that was successful in a 2-month period in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat in the end of 2025 and is currently operational in Delhi-NCR. The government is strategizing on a fast national expansion where major urban centers would be achieved in the next two years.

Why It Matters

This game-changer may mean a lot to drivers, who would be rid of the cycle of high commissions and predatory policy. To the passengers this vow promises cheap, open, and effective rides without the sudden price upsurge. Granted by significant cooperatives (Amul, IFFCO, and NABARD), Bharat Taxi is being established as a people-oriented, Atmanirbhar Bharat project in the mobility industry.

Initial responses are encouraging, and most drivers are keen to register. It is still early to determine how much part of the market share Bharat Taxi can gain over existing players, but it is certain that Bharat Taxi has already triggered hope of a fairer ride-hailing process in India