Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma inaugurated the cooperative-based Bharat Taxi service service in Jaipur in the presence of Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, senior officials, cooperative leaders and hundreds of registered Sarathis. The initiative is aimed at creating a driver-owned, technology-enabled transport ecosystem that combines employment generation with economic empowerment.
Speaking at the launch, Mohol said Bharat Taxi reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” and the leadership of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in broadening the scope of cooperatives.
He noted that after the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021, more than 150 initiatives have been launched to strengthen the cooperative movement across agriculture, dairy, fisheries, exports, insurance, digital services and now transportation. Today, India has around 8.6 lakh cooperative societies functioning across 30 sectors with over 32 crore members.
Unlike conventional ride-hailing platforms where drivers work as service providers, Bharat Taxi follows a cooperative ownership model. Every driver, known as a Sarathi, becomes a member and shareholder of the cooperative, receives representation in its governance and is entitled to a share in its profits.
Earnings from every trip are transferred directly to the Sarathi’s account without intermediary deductions, while accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh further strengthens social security for members. According to Mohol, nearly 8 lakh Sarathis and 41 lakh customers have already joined the platform across the country. The service currently completes around 11,000 trips daily, and nearly Rs 77 crore has been directly credited to Sarathis so far.
Rajasthan becomes the latest state to adopt the model after Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Ministry plans to expand Bharat Taxi to nearly 500 cities nationwide, positioning it as India’s first large-scale cooperative mobility platform. Mohol expressed confidence that Rajasthan would emerge as a leading example of safe, transparent and driver-centric transportation.
Highlighting Rajasthan’s strong cooperative ecosystem, Mohol said the state has around 42,000 cooperative societies with nearly 1.35 crore members. It has made remarkable progress in computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), implementation of the world’s largest grain storage scheme and integration with national cooperative institutions.
About 5,650 PACS have been digitised into e-PACS, recording over 10 crore online transactions, while nearly 4,900 PACS have diversified into multiple business activities. The state has also enrolled around 6,750 PACS with the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Ltd.
Chief Minister Sharma described Bharat Taxi as a transformative initiative that combines employment with ownership. He said the platform gives young people dignified livelihoods close to their homes while ensuring that the bulk of earnings remains with the Sarathis themselves.
During the past year alone, Rajasthan has added nearly 10 lakh new cooperative members, reflecting the state’s commitment to strengthening the cooperative movement. He added that Bharat Taxi would create fresh opportunities in tourism, agriculture and local services while improving last-mile connectivity to metro stations, tourist destinations and religious centres.
The programme also witnessed the exchange of MoUs with Rajasthan Police, Jaipur Municipal Corporation, Jaipur Metro and Saras to integrate Bharat Taxi with public services. Share certificates were distributed to outstanding Sarathis, while the Chief Minister flagged off an initial fleet comprising 60 cabs, 20 bikes and 20 autos.
With more than 30,000 Sarathis and nearly 7 lakh customers already enrolled in Jaipur, the service is expected to expand across Rajasthan in phases, reinforcing the cooperative sector’s growing role in India’s evolving mobility landscape.
