According to reports, the Center will start testing the new state-sponsored ride-hailing service, “Bharat Taxi,” in New Delhi later this month.

The service will launch with 650 vehicles in the nation’s capital, officials told NDTV.  By December of this year, the platform will be expanded to additional large cities, according to the article.

According to reports, the first statewide testing phase is anticipated to involve around 5,000 drivers, both male and female.  Over 2026, the platform will progressively be extended to 20 other cities, including Pune, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Jaipur.

According to reports, the government has set an internal goal to launch Bharat Taxi’s operations in multiple metropolitan areas by March 2026.  By 2030, the Center intends to onboard one lakh drivers across district headquarters and several rural areas.

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Bharat Taxi would function under the auspices of the National e-Government Division (NeGD) and the Union Cooperation Ministry, directly competing with industry titans like Ola and Uber.  According to reports, the platform will provide drivers complete control over their profits and provide commuters with a state-monitored substitute for private taxi aggregators.

Notably, Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL), a cooperative organization, would house Bharat Taxi.  In light of this, a council has been established to oversee the cooperative business, and the NeGD just inked an MOU with it.

The National Cooperative Development Corporation deputy MF Rohit Gupta was selected as the cooperative’s vice-chairman, while Jayen Mehta, managing director of dairy major AMUL, was voted as the STCL’s chairman.

NeGD and STCL inked an agreement weeks ago for NeGD to provide feedback on the Bharat Taxi platform’s UI design, multilingualism, and connection with other digital platforms like DigiLocker and UMANG.  The two will also work together to develop the app’s compliance and security infrastructure.

This occurs seven months after Amit Shah, the home minister, declared the opening of a new ride-hailing service supported by the government.  Shah stated at the time that the platform will accommodate four-wheeler taxis, rickshaws, and two-wheeler taxis.

Leading cooperative and financial organizations, like as NCDC, IFFCO, and AMUL, are currently working together to promote Bharat Taxi.

With the December 2025 launch of Bharat Taxi, India’s transportation scene is about to undergo a significant change.  With a transparent, citizen-first, cooperatively driven ride-hailing platform, the step seeks to revolutionize (the) mobility ecosystem, the Center stated last month.

The platform’s introduction coincides with ride-hailing platforms being criticized for all the wrong reasons.  High commissions, inconsistent pay, and a lack of transparency for drivers are still issues for Ola and Uber.  Over the past few years, drivers have frequently demonstrated against the platforms, calling for more compensation and equitable platform commissions.

Customers frequently voice their dissatisfaction with surge pricing and transportation cancellations. 

Since drivers will probably be able to keep all of their earnings rather than paying large fees, the new platform might ease some of the aches and pains.  It’s possible that end users will be able to access less expensive transportation.