Bharat Taxi received ‘very good’ response in soft launch, full launch by end of January: Govt

Government backed Bharat Taxi app will now be launching by the end of January in Delhi and other Indian cities. A senior official in the Cooperation ministry, which is spearheading the initiative, told PTI that the Bharat Taxi app received an encouraging response during its sot launch.

Panjak Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary in the Cooperation Ministry, while speaking to PTI said, "We have received a very good response for the Bharat Taxi service during the soft launch. The official launch will be done by month-end"

The app was introduced on a pilot basis in Delhi from 2 December, 2025. Since then, there have been 5,500 average rides daily including 4,000 form the airport and 1,500 from other locations across various categories like cab, auto and bike. Reportedly, over 1.4 lakh drivers have registered on the app so far.

What is Bharat Taxi?

The Bharat Taxi app is promoted by the Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited which includes eight leading cooperative and financial institutions: NCDC, IFFCO, AMUL, KRIBHCO, NAFED, NABARD, NDDB and NCEL. Government of India via the Ministry of Cooperation, acts as teh chief promoter of the cooperative and there are also two elected driver representatives on the board.

The app which was first announced by Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in March 2024 with an aim of reducing the dependence of commercial vehicle drivers on private companies. The app takes on the likes of Rapido, Ola and Uber, while including drivers as a major stakeholder.

Unlike the private cab operators that charge 20-30% commission on each order, Bharat Taxi will not take any commission from the drivers. It will also offer them additional benefits including annual dividends, share in the cooperative's profits and insurance cover.

The app also offers a variety of ride options including two-wheelers, rickshaws, taxis and four-wheelers. Shah has earlier said that the new app would lead to employment oppportunities being created a d would be a major driver of prosperit in the rural areas.

Unlike the private cabs, there will be no surge pricing in Bharat Taxi, meaning riders should be able to get a fair price for the ride across different times. There is also a live location tracking feature, driver verification feature and the ability to share ride details with friends or family.

The app has also been integrated with other transit services like Metro to offer multiple modes of transportation. It also has a tie up with the Delhi Police to offer an enhanced security framework for both the drivers and the riders.