Amit Shah announced Bharat Taxi's plan to expand to over 500 Indian cities within two years. The government-backed, zero-commission platform aims to challenge established ride-hailing players with its cooperative model.
India's ride-hailing market is becoming more competitive than ever, and a new challenger is preparing to make its presence felt on a much larger scale. Government-backed cooperative platform Bharat Taxi has announced plans to expand its services to more than 500 cities and towns across India within the next two years, signalling one of the country's most ambitious mobility expansion plans.
The announcement was made by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah during the official launch of Bharat Taxi in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. As part of the rollout, the platform has started operations in 14 cities across Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Dwarka, Somnath, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Mehsana.
According to Shah, Bharat Taxi will first strengthen its presence in major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Kolkata before expanding to hundreds of additional locations. The platform plans to offer two-wheeler taxis, auto-rickshaws and four-wheeler cab services across its growing network. He also revealed that Bharat Taxi already has more than seven lakh registered drivers, known as Sarathis.
Unlike conventional ride-hailing platforms, Bharat Taxi follows a driver-owned cooperative model and operates on a zero-commission structure. The platform, launched earlier this year, currently serves Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Mumbai. Shah said the cooperative model is designed to support drivers through access to loans, insurance and business expansion opportunities.
During the launch, Shah also alleged that competing ride-hailing companies were lowering fares and offering higher commissions to drivers in markets where Bharat Taxi was entering. He further claimed that private cab aggregators have deducted driver commissions, delayed payments and suspended drivers without giving them an opportunity to present their side. These remarks reflect Shah's allegations and have not been independently verified.
Bharat Taxi's expansion comes at a time when competition in India's mobility sector is intensifying. While Rapido currently leads ride volumes across bike taxis, autos and cabs, established players like Ola and Uber continue to compete aggressively. New entrants such as Green SM Limo and Blue Move are also entering the market, as India's ride-hailing industry is projected to grow rapidly over the coming years. Whether Bharat Taxi's cooperative approach can reshape the industry remains to be seen, but its nationwide expansion signals a significant new chapter in India's evolving mobility landscape.
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