Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday described ‘Bharat Taxi’ as a transformative cooperative movement aimed at restoring dignity, ownership and fair earnings to taxi drivers, whom he urged to proudly identify as ‘Sarathis’.
Interacting with Sarathis in New Delhi, Shah said the essence of cooperation lies in ensuring that those who labour also share in the profits.
He underlined that Bharat Taxi is not merely a transport service but a structural reform of the taxi sector. “The Sarathi is the real owner,” he said, adding that the platform has been created to make drivers stakeholders in both decision-making and financial returns. Unlike private aggregators driven by profit maximisation, Bharat Taxi’s objective is to strengthen driver brothers and sisters through collective ownership and transparent governance.
The Minister informed that Bharat Taxi has been formed by bringing together five major cooperatives of the country. Any Sarathi who wishes to become a partner can acquire ownership rights by purchasing shares worth Rs 500. Representatives of Sarathis will also have reserved seats on the Board of Directors, ensuring that policy decisions reflect the interests and ground realities of drivers themselves.
Shah detailed the financial model of the cooperative. During the initial three-year expansion phase, 20 percent of Bharat Taxi’s total earnings will be retained as capital for growth, while 80 percent will be directly credited to Sarathis based on the kilometres driven. After expansion, 20 percent of net profits will remain with the cooperative and 80 percent will be distributed among Sarathis. This structure, he said, ensures sustainability while prioritising driver welfare.
Highlighting financial inclusion measures, the Minister said Bharat Taxi will facilitate easy loans for Sarathis through cooperative banks by mortgaging their taxis. The service will also provide insurance coverage, making it the first taxi platform to combine ownership, profit-sharing, credit access and social security benefits in a cooperative framework.
Shah emphasised transparency as a core principle. Through real-time notifications and complete disclosure of operational data, Bharat Taxi aims to become the world’s most transparent cab service. A baseline kilometre rate will be fixed after calculating vehicle cost, fuel consumption and minimum viable profit, ensuring that services do not operate below a sustainable rate.
The initiative also seeks to promote civic discipline among both customers and Sarathis. According to the Minister, the emergence of Bharat Taxi has already compelled private taxi companies to reduce commissions and offer discounts, an indication of competitive pressure generated by a cooperative alternative.
A notable feature of the platform is ‘Sarathi Didi’, designed to empower women drivers and enhance safety for women passengers. Under this facility, solo female riders will be given priority allocation to women Sarathis, fostering both employment and trust.
To institutionalise dialogue, a grievance redressal window will be launched on the Bharat Taxi website, allowing Sarathis to log complaints through their mobile numbers. Feedback will directly inform policy revisions. Shah asserted that continuous communication, through online platforms, call centres and physical meetings, will remain integral to the cooperative’s functioning.
He reiterated that Bharat Taxi will expand to every municipal corporation in the country within three years, paving the way for resolving long-standing issues in the taxi sector. Calling on drivers to embrace the title ‘Sarathi’ as a badge of dignity and self-respect, Shah said changing societal perception begins with self-belief.
