India’s cooperative sector is preparing to enter the ride-hailing market with the launch of a new taxi service under the brand name ‘Bharat’. Backed by an authorised capital of Rs 300 crore, the service aims to offer a cooperative-driven alternative to established players like Ola and Uber. The service is expected to launch by the end of this year.
The new initiative comes from the Multi State Sahakari Taxi Cooperative Ltd, which was officially registered on June 6. This cooperative includes eight major cooperative organisations such as the National Cooperative Development Corporation, Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, National Dairy Development Board, and National Cooperative Exports Ltd.
According to the Deputy Managing Director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation, Rohit Gupta, “The key objective is to ensure better returns to drivers and provide quality, safe and affordable services to passengers.” He also confirmed that the venture is entirely funded by the participating cooperatives and does not include any government stake.
So far, 200 drivers have joined the cooperative, with 50 each from Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The cooperative is actively engaging with other cooperative bodies to grow its driver base further.
To support the launch, a tender has been issued to select a technology partner for developing the ride-hailing application. Gupta stated that the partner will be finalised in the coming days, and the app is expected to be ready by December.
The project also involves collaboration with a technology consultant and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore to build a comprehensive marketing strategy. The app will be available across India and will follow a cooperative service pricing model. Membership drives are currently ongoing to scale up the operations ahead of the launch.
This development follows an earlier statement by the Cooperation Minister, who shared plans for a cooperative taxi service during the launch of a national policy for the cooperative sector.
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