India, April 24 -- In a direct challenge to private ride-hailing platforms, the government-backed Bharat Taxi App was launched on Thursday, positioning itself as a driver-first alternative to existing aggregator cab services. While the driver-facing app went live on April 23, the passenger version is expected to roll out in the first week of May.

For the first time, the government is also pushing the integration of electric autos and electric kaali peeli cabs through the platform, signalling a shift towards cleaner mobility alongside fare regulation.

The platform is already reporting a significant footprint across Delhi NCR, Gujarat and Lucknow, with over 517,000 onboarded drivers and around 5 million passengers. By eliminating middleme...