India’s ride hailing market is set to witness a significant shift with the upcoming rollout of Bharat Taxi in January 2026. Positioned as a home grown, driver owned mobility service, Bharat Taxi aims to challenge established players such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido. Operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the platform is being promoted as an alternative model that prioritizes driver welfare and fair earnings.
What Is Bharat Taxi
- Bharat Taxi is an app-based ride-hailing service that began pilot operations in New Delhi and parts of Gujarat in December 2025.
- According to reports, it is preparing for a full-scale launch in the national capital in January.
- The platform claims to be the world’s largest driver-owned mobility network, with over 100,000 registered drivers.
- These include car drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers, and bike taxi operators, primarily from Delhi and the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
Zero-Commission Model: A Key Differentiator
- The most striking feature of Bharat Taxi is its zero commission model.
- In the initial phase, 100 per cent of the fare earned goes directly to drivers, unlike Ola and Uber, which typically charge commissions ranging from 20 to 30 per cent.
- At a later stage, the cooperative may retain a fee of around 20 per cent, but it has stated that this amount will be redistributed to drivers as incentives, not extracted as profit.
- This approach aims to improve driver income stability and reduce dissatisfaction that has been common among drivers on existing platforms.
Features of the Bharat Taxi App
- The Bharat Taxi mobile application, available on Android and iOS, has already crossed 75,000 downloads.
- The app offers features similar to established ride-hailing platforms, ensuring familiarity for users.
- Key features include transparent fare calculation, multilingual support, real-time vehicle tracking, and 24*7 customer support. Safety has been emphasised through driver verification and integration with the Delhi Police and other agencies.
- Ride options include AC, Premium, non-AC, and XL cabs, catering to different passenger needs.
- The platform also integrates with public transport systems such as the Metro, allowing users to plan multi-modal journeys through a single app.
Pricing Structure
- Bharat Taxi has announced competitive and transparent pricing.
- The minimum fare is ₹30 for up to 4 km, fares between 4 and 12 km are ₹23 per km, and rides beyond 12 km are priced at ₹18 per km.
- The platform promises quick pickups, often within two minutes, and aims to keep fares affordable without frequent price fluctuations.
How Bharat Taxi Is Different from Ola and Uber
- Apart from the zero-commission model, Bharat Taxi plans to avoid surge pricing, a common complaint against existing aggregators.
- While limited dynamic pricing may be applied in exceptional situations, the cooperative model seeks to prioritise predictability and affordability.
- Another difference lies in ownership and governance.
- Bharat Taxi is driver-owned, whereas Ola and Uber are privately owned corporate platforms.
- This gives drivers a greater say in decision-making.
- The cooperative also plans to establish dedicated Bharat Taxi stands at airports and major locations, similar to facilities provided to large aggregators, enhancing visibility and accessibility.
- However, overlaps are expected, as many drivers may continue to operate simultaneously on Bharat Taxi as well as on Ola, Uber, or Rapido.
Key Takeaways
- Bharat Taxi is a driver-owned, cooperative-based ride-hailing service.
- It is operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited.
- The platform follows a zero-commission model in its initial phase.
- Pilot operations began in Delhi and Gujarat in December 2025.
- Full rollout in Delhi is expected in January 2026.
Question
Q. Bharat Taxi, set to roll out nationally in January 2026, is operated by which entity?
A) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
B) Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited
C) NITI Aayog
D) National Cooperative Development Corporation