Nowadays, Uber and Ola are an integral part of life for almost everyone in Indian metro cities. When a cab is needed, they are quick and easy. Mostly, they are also reliable and relatively hassle-free. but not always. There is a side of Ola and Uber that we, their users, do not like. It could be a lack of basic hygiene or simply inflated “boom” prices when you need it most. Although no service can be 100 percent spot-free, a new entrant is raising hopes and expectations of being somewhere nearby. It is called Bharat Taxi, and it is launching in India on January 1, 2026.

What sets Bharat Taxi apart from its competitors is its business model. Unlike Uber and Ola, which are privately owned and managed, Bharat Taxi is a “co-operative” designed with the intention of giving ownership back to drivers while providing a greater level of transparency to end users. The service is operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, which includes many high-profile names like Amul, IFFCO and NABARD. The Government of India is the biggest promoter of this initiative.

beta experience testing

The service is scheduled to launch next year, but trial runs are already taking place in select areas, including Delhi and parts of Gujarat. The Bharat Taxi app is available for download on Android and iOS as part of the initial rollout. There is no mention of “beta” anywhere in the app, although it seems to be working normally with no bugs and crashes, India Today Tech can confirm this after spending some time with the versions on both platforms. Also, it appears to lack the full bundle of features. We expect it to arrive soon, possibly before the full launch in January.

However, even in this early release, it is clearly evident that Bharat Taxi has some form of government affiliation. To be clear, this is not technically a government-owned service, although reports indicate that we can expect it to have deeper integration with other government-backed initiatives like DigiLocker at some point.

The user interface and the way Bharat Taxi registers and signs you up mirrors other government-backed apps like IRCTC Rail Connect. Right out of the gate, you are asked to create an account for which certain details are mandatory. These are your name, email address and mobile number. Upon completion of these formalities, you will also be asked to set an MPIN (short for Mobile Personal Identification Number) like mobile banking apps and UPI platforms.

Once all this is done, you will be taken to the homepage from where you can book the ride. This is where things get a little interesting. At the time of writing, Bharat Taxi does not let you book a taxi (cab or autorickshaw or bike) instantly. This is true for both Android and iOS. we checked. There are broadly three options at the moment: You can either book a fare in advance for a scheduled ride of two hours or so, get a local transfer to and from the airport, and fly out.

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It is not immediately clear whether the final version of the app will support instant booking like Uber and Ola. We will update this piece as we have more clarity.

As an idea looks promising

It has been confirmed that Bharat Taxi will allow real-time tracking of vehicles. It also promises a transparent fare structure. The initiative promises to end the growing threat of surge pricing that is rife on many existing services, while drivers are ensured 80 percent of earnings, abruptly ending the commission-based approach. This is probably why Bharat Taxi has been able to receive over 51,000 nominations within 10 days of its official announcement. For security, it will be linked to Delhi Police and other agencies, while complaints from riders and possibly drivers will be handled through 24×7 customer support. Users will be able to share ride details with friends and family, while drivers will undergo proper verification before onboarding.

It’s too early to test and review how it works in real time (the app doesn’t work even on iOS 9 9 times out of 10), or draw conclusions about whether Bharat Taxi should trouble Uber and Ola, or whether it could be a viable alternative. But based on the quick look we’ve had at it, the app seems to have potential and with the Indian government itself confirming its success, we expect to hear a lot more about it closer to launch and beyond. If it is able to work as intended, it could lead to major changes and upend India’s ride-hailing space as we know it.