Reports indicate that Bharat Taxi, an ambitious transportation service, is anticipated to begin its soft launch during the first week of November at airports and selected train stations in Delhi. This cooperative-based service aims to compete with existing ride-hailing platforms like Ola, Uber, and Rapido.

The application-based platform has recruited approximately 650 drivers thus far and will undergo initial testing for several days before expanding operations across the entire National Capital Region (NCR), according to reports.

Several months prior, the 'Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited' received official registration under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, featuring an authorized share capital of Rs 300 crore.

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The cooperative held its elections on October 13, resulting in Jayen Mehta, Amul's managing director, being chosen as chairperson, and Rohit Gupta, deputy managing director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), being selected as vice-chairperson.

Eight cooperative and financial organizations are collaboratively backing this venture, including NCDC, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), Amul dairy brand, and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), along with others. Each supporting organization has pledged Rs 10 crore, creating approximately Rs 80 crore in startup capital for the transportation service.

Drivers who join the new taxi platform are allowed to buy five shares valued at Rs 100 each to gain cooperative membership after six months of service.

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A temporary governing body has been established to supervise the early stages of operation. Gupta from NCDC holds the position of board chairman. Additional prominent members consist of V Sridhar from NDDB, Tarun Handa from NAFED, Naveen Kumar from NABARD, Santosh Shukla from IFFCO, and L P Godwin from KRIBHCO, along with several others.

The cooperative is additionally pursuing partnerships with prominent academic institutions like IIIT Bangalore to advance technology, operational frameworks, and digital systems integration that meet industry benchmarks.

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To generate additional job prospects in secondary and tertiary cities, the Sahakar Taxi Cooperative intends to establish customer service centers in smaller municipalities, contrasting with major ride-sharing applications that maintain their support operations in large metropolitan areas, according to the official's statement.

Previously, Cooperation Union Minister Amit Shah had declared plans to launch a cooperative sector taxi ride-hailing platform named 'Sahakar Taxi', which would permit the enrollment of motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, cabs, and cars within a single system. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had additionally stated that this platform would provide comprehensive, citizen-focused, and digitally-enhanced public services.