Our Bureau
New Delhi
Taxi giants like Ola and Uber are all set to face heavy competition as the cooperative sector of India is planning to launch a taxi service under the brand Bharat by the end of this year. The new taxi service has been backed by an authorised capital of Rs 300 crore and has already onboarded over 200 drivers from four different states.
The Multi-State Sahakari Taxi Cooperative Ltd that was registered this year on June 6th represents an association of eight prominent cooperatives in India. These cooperatives include major organisations like the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
The Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, last month in July had given certain indications suggesting that the government is planning to launch a cooperative taxi service by the end of 2025. Shah hinted at the plans while he was unveiling a comprehensive cooperative policy for the sector.
The Deputy Managing Director of the NCDC, Rohit Gupta, recently stated that they are planning to launch these services to make sure that the drivers get better returns and boost up their earnings. But all this would be done without dampening the quality, safety and affordability in services provided to the passengers.
“The key objective is to ensure better returns to drivers and provide quality, safe and affordable services to passengers,” Rohit Gupta said.
It is being reported that this venture is going to be completely devoid of any government stake and will be entirely funded by the participating cooperatives. The founding members of the new venture also include Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL).
