Amit Shah says Bharat Taxi struggles against Ola, Uber

Amit Shah said Bharat Taxi is facing early challenges, including competition from Ola and Uber and resistance to digital adoption. The government-backed platform plans phased expansion while focusing on driver welfare, social security and a zero-commission cooperative model

New Delhi: Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday told Parliament that Bharat Taxi — the government-backed cooperative ride-hailing platform — is grappling with early-stage hurdles, including stiff competition from established private aggregators such as Ola and Uber, and resistance to digital adoption among sections of its driver-partner base.

Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said in a written reply that “efforts are being made to address these through welfare and awareness, training, and improved user experience along with e-governance tools”.

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Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, Bharat Taxi was established on June 6, 2025, by eight national-level cooperative institutions and formally launched on February 5 this year.

As of March 23, the platform had onboarded approximately 4.31 lakh driver-partners.

The service is currently operational in Delhi-NCR and three Gujarat cities — Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat — with driver onboarding underway in Chandigarh and Lucknow. The government plans to roll out services in phases to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and eventually to district and tehsil levels across the country over the next three years.

Shah said Bharat Taxi has proposed a raft of measures to drive adoption, including city-wise expansion, awareness campaigns and driver onboarding initiatives backed by welfare-oriented provisions.

“The focus remains on ensuring sustainable earnings, social security, and long-term empowerment of driver-partners through cooperative ownership,” he said.

Unlike conventional ride-hailing platforms, Bharat Taxi operates on a subscription-based model under which drivers are members and stakeholders of the cooperative, not merely service providers. The platform’s key differentiators include a zero-commission structure, transparent fare mechanisms, and cooperative governance, all aimed at maximising earnings retention for drivers.

The cooperative also seeks to address long-standing grievances in the gig economy by eliminating commission-based exploitation, promoting participatory decision-making, and providing access to social security benefits, while offering commuters safe and affordable rides.