In a move aimed at reshaping India’s ride-hailing sector, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday launched Bharat Taxi, a cooperative mobility platform designed to give drivers profit share and ownership rights.
Addressing cab and auto drivers from Delhi-NCR and Gujarat at a town hall, Shah said the platform will distribute 80% of its profits to drivers based on kilometres travelled. The remaining 20% will be retained to build cooperative capital. “I asked the existing companies whether they had fixed a minimum base rate for drivers. They said no,” Shah said. “We will ensure your minimum earnings are protected. Anything earned beyond that should also benefit you.”
Shah compared the model to Amul, calling it a proven example of a worker-owned enterprise. “Nearly 36 lakh women invested just Rs 50 each to build Amul into a Rs 1.25 lakh crore organisation,” he said. “In private companies, profits go to owners. In Amul, most profits go back to producers. Bharat Taxi follows the same idea in the mobility sector.”
Drivers can become co-owners by purchasing a share for Rs 500. As membership grows, drivers will also have representation on the cooperative’s board of directors. “If any decision goes against drivers, your representative will question it and protect your interests,” Shah added.
Bharat Taxi aims to onboard up to 15 crore drivers within 2 years and expand to all cities with municipal corporations within 3 years. The service is currently operational in Delhi-NCR and Rajkot. Shah noted that the profit-sharing structure may take about 3 years to stabilise and urged drivers to remain patient during the initial phase.
Launched on February 5 with support from 8 major cooperative organisations, Bharat Taxi completed a 2-month pilot before its official rollout. It plans nationwide expansion and intends to compete with major aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.
Unlike existing platforms that charge drivers commissions of 25–30%, Bharat Taxi currently does not deduct any commission, positioning itself as a cooperative alternative focused on driver ownership and shared profits.
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