Discuss the significance of the Ministry of Cooperation's initiatives, with reference to Bharat Taxi, in operationalising the vision of 'Sahakar se Samriddhi'.

Created in 2021, the Ministry of Cooperation pursues "Sahakar se Samriddhi" — prosperity through cooperation — by converting cooperatives from welfare bodies into competitive economic enterprises. Bharat Taxi, India's first cooperative-owned ride-hailing platform, shows how this vision is being operationalised in a new-age service sector.

From vision to enterprise: institutional depth

• Bharat Taxi is run by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL), floated by eight national-level cooperative institutions and registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 [2].
• It was formally launched on 5 February 2026 at Vigyan Bhavan under the principle "Sarathi hi Malik" — the driver is the owner [1].

Economic empowerment of the worker-owner

• A zero-commission model replaces aggregator commissions with a nominal platform-usage fee, raising the driver's take-home fare [2].
• Share certificates issued to top-performing Sarathis convert workers into equity-holding members, enabling profit-sharing rather than wage dependence [1].

Welfare and social security in the gig economy

• Members access concessional health and personal accident insurance, SBI Mudra loans and vehicle finance, addressing the insecurity of platform work [2].
• Nearly 8 lakh Sarathis had been onboarded nationwide by July 2026, indicating scale [5].

Cooperative federalism and digital capability

• The Gujarat launch from Gandhinagar involved MoUs with AAI, Gujarat Metro Rail, municipal bodies and state cooperative banks, with expansion targeted to 125 cities by March 2027 [3].
• Partnership with the National e-Governance Division supplies the digital backbone, showing cooperatives can absorb technology rather than be displaced by it [4].

Limitations

• Sustaining zero commission without venture capital, ensuring professional management, and matching aggregator service standards remain untested at national scale.

Bharat Taxi thus translates "Sahakar se Samriddhi" from slogan into a working ownership model in the platform economy. If governance transparency and service quality are maintained, such member-owned platforms can advance Article 43-B's mandate of autonomous, democratic cooperatives and deliver decent work under SDG-8.