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Under Bharat Taxi’s cooperative model, cab drivers will be able to become shareholders by investing Rs 500, hence becoming co-owners with a small investment
Bharat Taxi drivers will be able to purchase shares worth Rs 500 to become co-owners.
The Centre has unveiled a cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, Bharat Taxi, in a move that could reshape the country’s app-based cab sector currently dominated by private players such as Ola and Uber. Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah formally introduced the initiative and outlined a business model that seeks to make drivers co-owners of the platform.
Under the proposed structure, cab drivers will be able to become shareholders by investing Rs 500, similar to the cooperative ownership model followed by Amul, where members can become co-owners with a small investment. The government aims to build Bharat Taxi as a large national cooperative on similar lines, ensuring that a substantial share of earnings goes directly to drivers.
According to Shah, the platform has been designed to maximise drivers’ income by offering them a majority share of the revenue. The earnings will be divided in an 80:20 ratio, with 80% going to drivers and 20% retained by the platform for operational costs. The model is also expected to ensure a minimum income level for drivers while allowing them to benefit from additional earnings.
Shah said the cooperative structure draws inspiration from Amul, where millions of small shareholders collectively built a major organisation through minimal investments. In the case of Bharat Taxi, drivers will be able to purchase shares worth Rs 500 to become co-owners, and their representatives will also be included on the Board of Directors.
The service has already been rolled out in parts of Delhi-NCR and Rajkot, with plans to expand to cities and municipal corporations across the country over the next two years. The government expects to eventually bring around 15 million cab drivers into the cooperative network.
Officials said the full profit-sharing mechanism will take around three years to be implemented completely, and drivers will need to wait until the cooperative system stabilises.
The initiative is being positioned as a driver-centric alternative to private ride-hailing platforms, where companies typically retain a significant portion of the fare. Under the Bharat Taxi model, the government says drivers will receive the largest share of the earnings, reflecting the cooperative ownership structure.
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February 24, 2026, 18:38 IST
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