Ground-level insights and realities shaped deliberations on the future vision and roadmap of India's cooperative sector
Srinagar |Ground-level insights and realities shaped deliberations on the future vision and roadmap of India’s cooperative sector at the 8th National Conference on theme of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi — From Vision to Ground Reality’, inaugurated today in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Guided by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’
The National Review Conference brought together senior officers from States/UTs, Registrars of Cooperative Societies, national federations, cooperative institutions and key stakeholders of the cooperative ecosystem. The deliberations are aimed at reviewing progress, identifying ground-level challenges, sharing successful models and preparing a sharper roadmap for the next phase of cooperative development.
Addressing the Conference, Secretary Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that the creation of a separate Ministry of Cooperation marked a defining moment in the history of India’s cooperative movement. He said that the Ministry has moved from a largely regulatory framework to a development-oriented and delivery-focused approach, with the objective of strengthening cooperatives as effective institutions of rural prosperity, inclusive growth and last-mile delivery.
Dr. Bhutani said that during the last five years, the Ministry has worked to strengthen the foundation of the cooperative sector, particularly at the level of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. He highlighted major initiatives such as computerisation of PACS, adoption of model bye-laws, formation of new multipurpose PACS, dairy and fishery cooperatives, business diversification of PACS, and creation of national-level cooperatives in the areas of exports, organic products and seeds.
Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation said that the time has now come to move beyond numbers and focus on quality, accountability, professional management and visible ground-level impact in cooperatives. He said that while significant progress has been made in creating policy frameworks and institutional support systems, the next phase must be centred on implementation, measurable outcomes and effective delivery at the grassroots level.
Putting strong emphasis on technology adoption, data-driven governance and future-ready cooperative institutions, Dr. Bhutani said that in the era of UPI and digital financial services, cooperative banks must adopt modern technology platforms to remain relevant and competitive. He emphasised that rural and urban cooperative banks need common technology solutions, stronger governance systems, improved service delivery and better financial discipline.
Dr. Bhutani also highlighted the need for sustainability and circularity initiatives in the cooperative sector, particularly in areas such as dairy, compressed biogas and sugar by-products. He said that cooperatives can play a major role in converting rural waste into value, supporting clean energy, improving organic manure availability and creating additional income opportunities for members.
Dr. Bhutani urged States and UTs to accelerate the formation of these institutions and said that PACS are the backbone of the cooperative structure. He emphasised that their strengthening through technology, model bye-laws, business diversification and better governance will be critical for realising the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’