Srinagar: Ground-level realities and field experiences shaped key deliberations on the future roadmap of India’s cooperative sector at the 8th National Conference on ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi — From Vision to Ground Reality’, inaugurated here on Thursday.
The conference, held in Srinagar, brought together senior officials from States and Union Territories, Registrars of Cooperative Societies, national federations, cooperative institutions and stakeholders from across the country to review progress, identify challenges and chalk out strategies for strengthening the cooperative movement.
The event focused on translating the initiatives undertaken during the last five years under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ into measurable outcomes at the grassroots level under the leadership of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah.
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 significant milestone in the history of India’s cooperative movement.
He said the Ministry has shifted from a regulatory approach to a development-oriented and delivery-focused framework aimed at strengthening cooperatives as institutions of rural prosperity, inclusive growth and last-mile service delivery.
Dr Bhutani highlighted several initiatives undertaken to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem, particularly through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), including computerisation of PACS, adoption of model bye-laws, formation of new multipurpose PACS, dairy and fishery cooperatives, diversification of PACS activities and creation of national-level cooperatives in sectors such as exports, organic products and seeds.
He said the next phase of the cooperative movement must focus beyond numbers and prioritise quality, accountability, professional management and visible impact on the ground.
“While strong policy frameworks and institutional support systems have been created, the focus now has to be on effective implementation, measurable outcomes and better delivery at the grassroots level,” Dr Bhutani said.
Emphasising the importance of digital transformation, he said cooperative banks must adopt modern technology platforms to remain relevant in the era of UPI and digital financial services.
He stressed the need for common technology solutions, stronger governance mechanisms, improved customer services and financial discipline in rural and urban cooperative banks.
Dr Bhutani also underlined the potential of cooperatives in sustainability and circular economy initiatives, particularly in sectors such as dairy, compressed biogas and sugar by-products. He said cooperatives can help convert rural waste into value, promote clean energy solutions, improve organic manure availability and create additional income opportunities for members.
Calling PACS the backbone of the cooperative structure, Dr Bhutani urged States and Union Territories to accelerate their formation and strengthen existing institutions through technology adoption, business diversification and better governance practices.
He also highlighted the role of the National Cooperative Database 2.0 in improving data-driven governance, planning and monitoring. The upgraded platform, he said, would enable cooperatives to update and validate information directly, improving the quality of data available for policy decisions.
On the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the cooperative sector, Dr Bhutani urged States to speed up infrastructure creation and reduce post-harvest losses by bringing storage facilities closer to farmers.
A major feature of the conference was its State-led format, where States and Union Territories shared best practices, successful models, innovations and field-level challenges. The discussions focused on region-specific strategies, especially for strengthening cooperatives in the North Eastern region.
Representatives from institutions including NABARD, NDDB, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, NCCF and NCDC shared their perspectives on financing, capacity building, market support and institutional development.
The conference also deliberated on expanding India’s cooperative base through new multipurpose PACS, dairy and fishery cooperatives in uncovered Panchayats, while focusing on building agri-infrastructure and creating stronger market linkages.
Discussions highlighted that professionally managed, diversified and technology-enabled PACS can emerge as vibrant economic institutions in rural areas.
The conference further focused on strengthening national value chains through new-age cooperatives such as NCEL, NCOL and BBSSL, with emphasis on exports, organic products, seeds and stronger connections between producers, markets and consumers.
Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital governance and data-based decision-making, were also discussed as key drivers for creating transparent and responsive cooperative institutions.
National federations were asked to prepare State-specific action plans for various schemes and work closely with States and Union Territories to address implementation challenges.
The conference concluded with the identification of actionable points and six-month targets for States and Union Territories, aimed at accelerating the cooperative movement and realising the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ across the country.
