Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma launches ‘Bharat Taxi’ service in Jaipur

In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” and under the leadership of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, an important initiative was undertaken today towards transforming the country’s mobility sector through cooperation, technology and inclusive development. Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma launched the ‘Bharat Taxi’ service in Rajasthan at a programme held at the Harish Chandra Mathur Rajasthan State Institute of Public Administration in Jaipur. Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Rajasthan Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Gautam Kumar Dak, Member of Parliament from Jaipur Smt Manju Sharma, Chief Secretary of Rajasthan Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Principal Secretary, Cooperation Department, Rajasthan, Dr Samit Sharma, senior officials of the Government of Rajasthan, representatives of the cooperative sector and Sarathis associated with Bharat Taxi were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that Bharat Taxi is among the new initiatives of the Ministry of Cooperation that have broadened the scope and reach of cooperation during the past five years. He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, cooperation is no longer confined only to Co-operative Credit Societies, but has expanded to sectors such as agriculture, dairy, fisheries, insurance, exports, storage, digital services and now transportation. Today, around 8.60 lakh cooperative societies are functioning in 30 different sectors across the country, with more than 32 crore members associated with them.

Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that Rajasthan has made a historic and distinctive contribution to the cooperative movement. One of the country’s earliest cooperative societies was established at Deeg in Bharatpur in 1904, while the establishment of the Rajasthan State Cooperative Bank in Jaipur in 1953 provided a strong foundation to the State’s cooperative sector. Today, around 42,000 cooperative societies are functioning in Rajasthan, with nearly 1 crore 35 lakh members. He said that the traditions of cooperation, collective action, water conservation and protection of nature have existed for centuries in Rajasthan’s rural culture, and cooperation is the modern economic expression of this very spirit.

The Union Minister of State for Cooperation said that after the establishment of an independent Ministry of Cooperation in 2021, more than 152 initiatives have been launched to strengthen the cooperative sector. Under the computerisation of PACS, around 80,000 PACS have been approved and nearly 63,000 PACS are operating on the digital system. Through Model Bye-Laws, PACS have been enabled to undertake more than 25 types of economic and business activities. The Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited, National Cooperative Organics Limited and National Cooperative Exports Limited have been established to provide farmers with quality seeds, markets for organic products and opportunities for the export of agricultural produce.

Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that Bharat Taxi is taking this broad cooperative transformation to taxi drivers in cities. In other private aggregator models, a driver is merely a service provider, whereas in Bharat Taxi, “the Sarathi is the owner”. A Sarathi is a member and shareholder of the cooperative institution, is entitled to representation on the Board of Directors and a share in the institution’s profits, and the amount for every trip is credited directly to his account. He said that nearly 8 lakh registered Sarathis and around 41 lakh registered customers have joined Bharat Taxi. Around 11,000 trips are being completed every day and nearly Rs 77 crore has so far been deposited in the accounts of Sarathis.

The Union Minister of State for Cooperation said that after Delhi and Gujarat, the launch of Bharat Taxi in Maharashtra and now Rajasthan marks an important phase in the national expansion of the cooperative-based mobility model. There are plans to extend this service to around 500 cities across the country in the coming period. He expressed confidence that Rajasthan would become a leading partner in this transformation and set a new example of a safe, reliable and Sarathi-centric transport system.

Referring to Rajasthan’s achievements in the cooperative sector, Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that the State is a leader in the implementation of the world’s largest grain storage scheme. Construction of 200 warehouses each approved during 2024-25 and 2025-26 has been completed. Around 5,650 PACS have been converted into e-PACS and more than 10 crore online transactions have been carried out through these PACS, accounting for nearly one-third of the country’s total transactions. Around 4,900 PACS in the State are engaged in three or more businesses, while nearly 6,750 PACS have become members of the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited. He also appreciated the establishment of Sahakar Bhawan in Jaipur and the decision to provide 50 acres of land for BBSSL’s tissue culture laboratory.

On the occasion, Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma said that Bharat Taxi is a transformative initiative that will advance the resolve of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” in the State. He said that by creating employment and local economic opportunities through cooperation, dignified livelihoods can be made available to young people close to their villages, cities and families. The State Government has placed special emphasis on broadening the membership of cooperative institutions, and 10 lakh new members have been connected with cooperation during the past one year.

Shri Bhajanlal Sharma said that in Bharat Taxi, the Sarathi is not merely a driver, but a co-owner of the institution. Membership and shareholding give him a sense of ownership in his work, confidence and dignity. He said that when a person receives a stake in his work, his efficiency, hard work and motivation to progress increase manifold. A small enterprise or self-employment opportunity can become the first step towards major economic progress for a young person. The Rajasthan Chief Minister said that the Bharat Taxi model does not merely provide employment to the common citizen, but also offers ownership and dignity. A major share of the earnings will remain with the Sarathis and they will have a direct stake in the institution’s progress. He said that an accident insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh is also being provided under this initiative, ensuring respect for the labour of Sarathis, protection of their rights and security of their future. Bharat Taxi is not merely a digital platform, but a symbol of the self-respect and economic empowerment of Sarathis.

Shri Bhajanlal Sharma said that Rajasthan has vast potential for local employment through cooperation in several sectors, including agriculture, dairy, minerals, handicrafts and tourism. Establishing processing units for agricultural and dairy products in villages and local areas will provide employment to youth in their own regions and reduce migration. He said that work is being undertaken in the State to expand cooperative institutions at every Gram Panchayat level, enhance milk collection and processing capacity and promote value addition of local products.

The Chief Minister said that Rajasthan’s tourism potential offers special opportunities for Bharat Taxi. Bharat Taxi can play an important role in providing safe and reliable last-mile connectivity to passengers travelling to the expanded Jaipur Metro network, the State’s historic forts, palaces, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, religious sites and desert tourism destinations. He said that Bharat Taxi would give new momentum to the State’s tourism sector and create new income opportunities for Sarathis.

Shri Bhajanlal Sharma said that more than 30,000 Sarathis and nearly 7 lakh customers have so far joined Bharat Taxi in Jaipur, and thousands of trips are being completed every day. He said that these figures reflect the public’s growing trust in the cooperative-based digital model. The objective of connecting the whole of Rajasthan with the Bharat Taxi network will give a new direction to the State’s mobility system and play an important role in providing citizens with safe, reliable and transparent transport services.

The Chief Minister called upon the Sarathis to maintain the reliability of the service, courteous behaviour towards passengers and high standards of safety. He said that Bharat Taxi has the potential to become not only India’s, but the world’s most successful cooperative-based mobility platform, because the Sarathis themselves are its owners and the returns on their labour go directly to them instead of to any intermediary. He expressed confidence that Rajasthan would become a leading partner in this transformation and present a new example of cooperative-based modern transportation before the country.

During the programme, share certificates were presented to the best-performing Sarathis. Memoranda of Understanding were also exchanged with Rajasthan Police, Saras, Jaipur Municipal Corporation and Jaipur Metro for the expansion of ‘Bharat Taxi’ and its coordination with various public services. At the conclusion of the programme, Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma flagged off the Bharat Taxi fleet comprising 60 cabs, 20 bikes and 20 autos. With the cooperation of the Government of Rajasthan, cooperative institutions, local bodies and public service organisations, the service will be expanded in a phased manner to different cities and tourism destinations across the State.