Maharashtra Launch of Cooperative Bharat Taxi Service
Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Murlidhar Mohol launched the 'Bharat Taxi' cooperative taxi service in Maharashtra at a program held at Navi Mumbai International Airport on July 23, 2026. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi' (Prosperity Through Cooperation) and operates under the leadership of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah.
Cooperative Model and Employment Generation
The Bharat Taxi service introduces an equitable cooperative mobility model where taxi drivers (called 'Sarathis') are not merely service providers but become owners, members of the cooperative institution, and partners in its progress. The service specifically aims to create new employment opportunities for youth, women, and local residents ('sons of the soil') of Maharashtra. An agreement with the D. B. Patil Cooperative Transport Association plans to provide taxis through credit facilities to nearly 3,000–4,000 local residents around Navi Mumbai International Airport and connect them to the Bharat Taxi platform.
Operational Features and Benefits
Bharat Taxi operates without surge pricing and hidden charges, offering passengers affordable services while ensuring fair returns to Sarathis through a fixed service fee model. The cooperative model replaces intermediary-centric systems with a Sarathi-centric framework, providing income stability and profit-sharing arrangements for driver-owners. The service emphasizes passenger safety (particularly for women), courteous treatment, transparent fares, and accountable service delivery.
Expansion Strategy and Cooperative Context
This launch marks Maharashtra as the third implementation after Delhi and Gujarat. The service will be expanded across Maharashtra in a phased manner by connecting more taxi drivers, youth, women, and local communities through the state's extensive cooperative network. Maharashtra contains approximately 2.5 lakh of India's total 8.60 lakh cooperative societies, representing the state's significant cooperative tradition spanning over 100 years.
Broader Cooperative Sector Initiatives
The Ministry of Cooperation, established in 2021, has taken nearly 152 major decisions over the past five years to strengthen the cooperative sector. These include a new National Cooperation Policy, a target of establishing two lakh new multipurpose cooperative societies nationwide (with 40,000 already established), and computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) at a cost of nearly ₹3,000 crore. PACS now undertake over 25 types of economic activities, with 39,000 cooperative societies operating Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras and 54,000 PACS serving as Common Service Centers. Cooperative institutions also operate petrol pumps, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and participate in grain storage activities. Financial assistance of nearly ₹10,000 crore has been provided to cooperative sugar mills in Maharashtra through the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), with promotions for ethanol and Compressed Biogas activities.