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Bharat Taxi crosses 2.7 Mn downloads but faces pricing concerns

Entrackr · 6d ago

Medial

Bharat Taxi crosses 2.7 Mn downloads but faces pricing concerns India’s cooperative ride-hailing platform Bharat Taxi, which operates cab, auto, and bike services, is witnessing strong early adoption, with total downloads crossing 2.73 million, according to Sensor Tower data. The data shows that nearly 84.2% (2.30 million) of installs came from the Google Play Store (Android), while 15.8% (433K) downloads were from the App Store (iOS). However, after the initial surge, installs dropped sharply and then stabilised through late February and March. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah formally launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, on February 5, 2026. Aimed at challenging private players such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido, the platform is built on a driver-ownership model, where each driver holds five shares and no commission is deducted per ride. Media reports suggest that the new service offers several perks for drivers, including a guaranteed minimum base rate per km and an assurance of returning 80% of the profit. The launch included an awareness rally for drivers, or “Sarathis,” and around 2.5 lakh vehicles were expected to be registered initially. As of now, Bharat Taxi is operational in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad (Delhi-NCR), as well as in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Somnath, and Dwarka (Gujarat). In a recent speech in the Lok Sabha, Amit Shah said that Bharat Taxi had 21.34 lakh (2.13 million) registered users and 2.31 lakh (0.23 million) registered Sarathis (drivers) as of March 1. Bharat Taxi has demonstrated strong initial traction, particularly around its debut period. The platform’s ability to maintain user interest beyond the launch phase suggests steady demand, though its long-term impact will depend on how effectively it expands its driver network and competes with established ride-hailing players. Meanwhile, users have raised concerns about higher fares on Bharat Taxi compared to Uber, Ola, and Rapido. In our checks for rides from Sector 39, Gurugram, to Qutub Minar and Old Delhi Railway Station, prices were about 20–30% higher than Uber and Rapido. While Bharat Taxi offers stable, no-surge pricing, it appears costlier at the same time. The Indian ride-hailing market has undergone shifts over the past two years, with Rapido emerging as the leader by ride volume, followed by Uber, while Ola has slipped to third place amid a decline in market share. While initial numbers are no surprise considering the hype and promises, it remains to be seen if drivers adopt it wholeheartedly. Or how Bharat Taxi handles the first seriously bad user experience, the biggest test for the category. The higher prices are certainly odd, as even pricing at par with its competitors should normally lead to better payouts for the drivers. It will probably be some time before a final verdict is delivered here, but make no mistake, a flop show here would be yet another indicator that the government has a unique ability to mishandle any business.