‘Pay Rs 500, become co-owner’: Bharat Taxi’s Amul-style model explained by Amit Shah

Ride-hailing services in India have mostly followed one model so far – drivers work, platforms earn, and commissions get deducted. Now, the government-backed Bharat Taxi wants to change this situation. Launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharat Taxi is being positioned as a cooperative ride-hailing platform where drivers don’t just work, but they even own a stake. And the entry ticket is just Rs 500!

While interacting with Bharat Taxi drivers, Union Home Minister Amit Shah suggests that a mere Rs 500 investment can turn big in three years. On paper idea says that drivers, referred to as “saarthis,” can invest Rs 500 to become members of the cooperative. Over time, profits generated by the platform will be shared with them.

That means, if Bharat Taxi earns profits, say Rs 25 crore, then 80% of that profit will be distributed among drivers based on how many kilometres they have driven. The remaining 20% will be retained to build cooperative capital. For the first few years, drivers will continue earning their regular fares. The profit-sharing component is expected to stabilise after about three years. In short, the driver doesn’t just get paid for the ride, they get a stake in the platform’s growth.

How is it related to Amul?

During the announcement, Amit Shah drew a parallel with Amul that reportedly grew into a Rs 1.25 lakh crore organisation starting from small contributions of Rs 50 by members. This is because the logic is similar to workers pooling small investments to build a large, collectively owned enterprise. Unlike private ride aggregators that deduct 25–30% commission, Bharat Taxi says it currently does not charge drivers commission. 

The idea is interesting, especially for drivers who have long complained about high commission cuts and inconsistent earnings. But cooperative models require scale, patience, and long-term participation. The next few years will determine whether Bharat Taxi can replicate even a fraction of Amul’s success in a completely different industry.

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What else to expect? Bharat Taxi has begun operations in Delhi-NCR and Rajkot. In Delhi, it will digitally operate prepaid taxi booths in partnership with the Delhi Traffic Police. A joint command and control centre with real-time ride monitoring and SOS alerts has also been introduced to improve safety.