Bharat Taxi App Coming to Mumbai; Driver Onboarding Initiative Inaugurated

The Indian government’s Bharat Taxi app, which will compete with Uber, Ola and similar ride-hailing platforms, was formally launched in Mumbai on Thursday with a programme aimed at getting taxi and autorickshaw drivers to sign up. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, who is also the Member of Parliament from Mumbai North, inaugurated the initiative, which the government says promotes driver welfare as well as urban mobility.  

The new platform comes as existing players have faced increasing criticism from passengers about unpredictable fares as well from drivers about low payouts and diminishing incentives. As recently as last year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways introduced rules on taxi aggregator platforms to establish base fares, cap surge pricing and curb discounts, and impose fines on both drivers and passengers in case of cancellation. Mainstream aggregators have also tried pivoting from a commission to a flat-fee model to adapt to Indian conditions.

At the ceremony in Mumbai, Goyal spoke about how technology-driven cooperative models can strengthen India’s evolving mobility ecosystem, saying drivers, called “Sarathis”, are treated as partners with the Bharat Taxi platform. He also said digital tools will improve transparency, earnings, and dignity of labour. In a post on social media, he added “This initiative is a significant step towards ensuring that drivers receive fair rights and ownership for their hard work.”

Bharat Taxi will be rolling out progressively across Indian towns and cities, after its initial pilot rollout in the Delhi NCR. It plans to operate in all urban centres in the country within three years. The app promises easy driver onboarding and a sustainable ecosystem for taxi and rickshaw commuters as well as drivers.

Over 5.17 lakh drivers and 50 lakh users have already signed up, and nearly 10 lakh rides are being served across multiple cities. In addition to its zero commission, zero subscription fee model, the cooperative promises insurance for drivers, assistance for EV adoption, and special protections for women Sarathis.

Also speaking at the event, Vivek Pandey, COO of Bharat Taxi, said Mumbai is a high-potential market and the strong support received from local driver unions has reinforced confidence in the platform’s expansion plans and its commitment to building a robust driver ecosystem in the city.