Goa Aggregator Policy 2025 illustrates how states can regulate urban mobility without stifling competition. Anchored in Section 67 of the Motor Vehicles Act and informed by the Draft Competition Policy of 2012, the framework balances state oversight with private enterprise. It encourages innovation, enforces fair market practices, and ties mobility policy to broader socio-economic goals—employment generation, higher female labour participation, and environmental sustainability.
A striking feature of the policy is its competitive neutrality. Unlike regimes that penalise internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to push electric vehicles (EVs), Goa’s framework applies uniform rules across ICE, EV, hybrid, and CNG fleets. EV adoption is encouraged through targeted incentives rather than coercion. This avoids distortions in cost structures and lets the transition to cleaner mobility remain market-led. Flexibility for operators is preserved even as environmental goals are advanced.
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Inclusive market design
The policy covers all vehicle categories—four-wheelers, two-wheelers, and e-rickshaws—under a single regulatory umbrella. This inclusive approach democratises access for small operators, especially in two-wheeler and e-rickshaw segments that are central to Goa’s last-mile connectivity. By removing segmentation that often privileges large four-wheeler fleets, the framework expands space for micro-entrepreneurs, aligning regulation with Goa’s distinctive geography and travel patterns.
Clarity in licensing is essential for market formation. Goa’s policy builds on the existing driver base while introducing standardised fees, deposits, and renewal procedures. Documentation requirements, timelines, and formats are publicly defined, lowering entry barriers for smaller firms and startups. Importantly, the system avoids arbitrary quotas or discretionary approvals that plague other states. Predictability and reduced costs encourage long-term investment and competitive intensity.
Goa Aggregator Policy: Gender-forward incentives
The policy goes further by embedding gender equity into market design. Women drivers and owners receive full insurance reimbursements (up to ₹30,000) and upfront EV subsidies—₹1 lakh for electric cabs and ₹20,000 for electric two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws. Aggregators with 20% female drivers get a complete fee waiver of ₹10 lakh at licence renewal. Such provisions not only create opportunities for women entrepreneurs in a male-dominated sector but also improve passenger safety and diversify competition.
The framework tackles long-standing asymmetries between platforms and gig workers. Aggregators must settle driver payments within 72 hours of trip completion or face penal interest of 25% per day. Enforceable contracts, multi-platform access, and mandatory insurance further strengthen driver protections. These provisions level the field without imposing rigid labour controls, enhancing both worker mobility and trust.
Building consumer confidence
For platform services, consumer trust is central. Goa mandates safety features including PSV badge verification, passenger insurance, identity transparency, and formal driver contracts. Female drivers also receive extended health cover. By applying norms uniformly, the state ensures safety compliance without turning it into a barrier to competition. The result is a safer ecosystem that fosters demand growth.
Regulatory compliance is kept transparent and time-bound. Aggregators must submit annual reports and comply with data localisation and privacy rules, but the requirements are precise and manageable. Both aggregators and the state are mandated to provide grievance redressal mechanisms. Disputes escalated to a committee of senior transport officials ensure oversight without arbitrariness.
Linking mobility to development goals
Beyond mobility, the policy serves Goa’s larger economic strategy. By formalising and expanding aggregator services, it strengthens tourism infrastructure, improves urban transport efficiency, and contributes to GDP growth. The emphasis on two-wheelers and e-rickshaws strengthens last-mile connectivity, especially in semi-urban and rural areas. Most significantly, by incentivising women’s participation in the workforce, the policy reinforces inclusive growth. Its encouragement of EV adoption, though non-coercive, supports Goa’s broader environmental commitments.
The Goa Aggregator Policy 2025 shows that regulation can be pro-market without being anti-state. Through technology-neutral rules, gender-sensitive incentives, safety standards, and ease of compliance, it encourages entry and innovation while advancing social goals. By focusing on enabling conditions rather than restrictive controls, Goa has crafted a model of low-distortion, high-impact regulation. Other states would do well to study its example as India navigates the mobility transition.
Dr Navneet Sharma is a competition policy expert and currently serves as Advisor (Governance & Policy), Helicon Consulting. Views are personal.