Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol on Thursday, 23 July jointly launched the Bharat Taxi cooperative mobility service in Maharashtra at a ceremony held at Navi Mumbai International Airport. The launch positions Bharat Taxi as a driver-owned alternative to conventional app-based aggregators, extending the service's footprint after earlier rollouts in Delhi and Gujarat.

What Bharat Taxi Offers

Unlike commercial ride-hailing platforms, Bharat Taxi operates on a cooperative ownership model — taxi Sarathis are not merely drivers but registered members, shareholders, and profit-sharing partners of the cooperative institution. The service will charge a fixed service fee with no surge pricing and no hidden charges, directly addressing two of the most common grievances against existing aggregators.

Safety features for women passengers, courteous conduct standards, transparent fares, and an accountable service-delivery mechanism are listed as operational priorities, according to the government.

Local Employment at Navi Mumbai Airport

CM Fadnavis highlighted an agreement with the late D B Patil Cooperative Transport Association as a key enabler. Under this arrangement, credit facilities will be extended to an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 local youth residing near Navi Mumbai International Airport, helping them acquire taxis and onboard the Bharat Taxi platform. The initiative is designed to create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities specifically for the sons of the soil around the new airport.

Fadnavis framed the launch as part of a broader state agenda to strengthen, modernise, and bring greater transparency to cooperative institutions — from village-level primary societies to larger sectoral bodies — while building new business models for them.

Maharashtra's Cooperative Strength

MoS Mohol underscored the significance of the Maharashtra launch by citing the state's deep cooperative roots. Of the more than 8.60 lakh cooperative societies currently active across India, nearly 2.5 lakh — almost 29% — are based in Maharashtra, reflecting over 100 years of cooperative tradition in the state.

During the event, share certificates and service kits were distributed to Sarathis enrolled with Bharat Taxi, symbolising their formal entry as co-owners of the platform.

Phased Expansion Ahead

The government has indicated that Bharat Taxi will be rolled out across Maharashtra in a phased manner, with plans to onboard more drivers, women, youth, and local communities in collaboration with the state's cooperative institutions, transport organisations, and local bodies. This comes amid growing national interest in cooperative-sector reforms as an alternative to gig-economy structures that have drawn criticism for income instability and lack of worker ownership.