Bhubaneswar, September 23: Odisha Government is all set to roll out Bharat Taxi initiative, a cooperative-based taxi service. This was disclosed in the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Assembly, Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta said the initiative will be launched in the State on the lines of app-based taxi services such as Ola and Uber.
The Union Ministry of Cooperation formulated the service on February 5, 2026. The Odisha Government has initiated steps to implement the scheme in the State, said Samanta.
“In a meeting organised by the Cooperation Ministry in March 2026, a detailed discussion was held on various aspects of the scheme, including its operation and effectiveness through cooperative societies,” said the Minister.
A detailed framework for implementing Bharat Taxi in Odisha is currently under consideration by the department, the Minister informed the House.
Bharat Taxi is India's first cooperative-based, driver-owned ride-hailing service, promoted by the Ministry of Cooperation through the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and built by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd. in collaboration with seven leading national cooperatives like IFFCO, GCMMF (AMUL), KRIBHCO, NAFED, NABARD, NDDB and NCEL.
Offering car, auto-rickshaw and bike-taxi services through one easy-to-use app, Bharat Taxi launched in New Delhi on 5th February 2026 by Union Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shha. It has since grown to over 7.5 lakh registered drivers and more than 40 lakh riders across Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kanpur and Pune.
