Shri. Piyush Goyal inaugurated a driver onboarding initiative for Bharat Taxi in Mumbai on 23rd April, marking a step toward establishing structured and driver-centric public transit systems. The initiative synced auto-rickshaw and cab drivers, transport unions, and cooperative associations, with a primary focus on digital onboarding, increased earnings visibility, and organized involvement in platform-based mobility networks.
The development of Bharat Taxi, by the Centre for Digital Public Goods at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, has led to the ideation and implementation of the platform as a population-scale digital public infrastructure for mobility.
Bharat Taxi operates as a multi-state cooperative platform built on principles of shared ownership, fair earnings, and driver welfare. Supported by national cooperative institutions such as NABARD and NCDC, the platform reflects a shift toward cooperative, technology-enabled mobility models that currently has over 5.17 lakh drivers onboarded, more than 50 lakh users, and approximately 10 lakh rides facilitated per month across multiple cities.
The initiative aligns with the broader vision of expanding inclusive and digitally enabled urban mobility systems across India, with Mumbai representing a key addition to existing operations in Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Chandigarh, and Lucknow. The model emphasises simplified onboarding, improved access to ride demand, and greater transparency in all transactions.
Bharat Taxi represents an application of digital public infrastructure thinking in the mobility sector, where cooperative ownership models are combined with open, scalable technology frameworks to support both driver livelihoods and urban transport efficiency.