New Delhi, July 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Nearly 8 lakh driver-partners, known as ‘Sarathis’, have joined the Centre’s Bharat Taxi initiative, with the total number of onboarded drivers reaching 7.97 lakh as of July 19, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Shah said the cooperative-led digital mobility platform, Bharat Taxi, currently has 2.55 lakh Sarathis in the Delhi-NCR region, 1.01 lakh in Gujarat and 71,095 in Maharashtra.
Operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL), Bharat Taxi has been officially launched in Delhi-NCR, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The minister said its expansion to other states and cities will depend on operational preparedness, statutory approvals, availability of Sarathis and coordination with state governments, cooperative institutions and other stakeholders.
Highlighting the platform’s operating model, Shah said Bharat Taxi follows a zero-commission policy, ensuring that no commission is deducted from the fare earned by Sarathis for rides booked through the app. Instead, a nominal subscription or platform usage fee is charged separately to cover technology, application maintenance and expansion costs, without affecting drivers’ earnings from rides.
The minister said Sarathis enrolled as members of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited are eligible for benefits under the cooperative’s bye-laws and the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
According to the government, members also have access to welfare and financial support, including health and personal accident insurance at concessional rates, institutional credit, SBI Mudra loans and vehicle financing through banks and other financial institutions.
Orientation and training programmes are also conducted periodically to familiarise Sarathis with the digital platform, customer service, road safety and passenger safety.
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