Bharat Taxi expands cooperative-led ride-hailing network with 8.27 lakh registered drivers

Driver-owned Bharat Taxi, operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, is active across six Indian regions and plans airport, rail and metro last-mile connectivity tie-ups. The platform reported 8.27 lakh registered Sarathis as of 28 July, including 2.61 lakh in Delhi-NCR.

— Source publishedThu, 6 Aug, 2026, 11:04 IST·First seen Thu, 6 Aug, 2026, 11:10 IST·Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

Driver-owned Bharat Taxi, operated by STCL, is active across six Indian regions and has 8.27 lakh registered drivers. Amit Shah said it is an alternative to Ola

Key facts

  • Over 8 lakh registered Sarathis (drivers)
  • ₹500 approximate member-shareholder contribution
  • 20–30% commission charged by conventional aggregators
  • 8.27 lakh Sarathis as of 28 July 2026
  • 2.61 lakh drivers in Delhi-NCR
  • Eight national cooperative institutions backing the platform

Why this matters

Bharat Taxi’s planned airport, rail and metro tie-ups make it a potential strategic partner for mobility, payments, travel and retail ecosystems seeking integrated first- and last-mile access.

What to watch

  • Announced or signed last-mile agreements with airport operators, Indian Railways affiliates, metro corporations or state transport agencies.
  • Active-driver, completed-trip, fulfillment-rate and rider-repeat metrics rather than registered-driver totals.
  • Fare comparisons, driver incentive changes and commission responses from Uber, Ola, Rapido and regional platforms.
  • Evidence of dedicated transit pickup zones, app integration or ticket-to-ride booking flows.
  • Cooperative funding, fleet-finance partnerships, insurance arrangements and governance disclosures.
  • Expansion beyond the current six regions and the pace of Delhi-NCR rider adoption.
  • Prioritize formal pickup, queue-management and booking partnerships with airports, railway stations, metro operators and state transport bodies.
  • Concentrate rider acquisition in Delhi-NCR and the six active regions before entering fragmented new cities.
  • Launch transparent driver earnings, zero-commission or capped-fee messaging to recruit active drivers from incumbent platforms.
  • Build corporate, government-employee and institutional travel accounts to create predictable demand beyond consumer ride-hailing.
  • Invest in dispatch reliability, safety controls, digital payments and grievance resolution to reduce the service-quality gap with established apps.