Nalanda University organised a special lecture on “Cooperatives for Inclusive Growth” recently with Satish Marathe, founder member of Sahakar Bharati and Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, highlighting the growing relevance of cooperatives in India’s socio-economic development.
Addressing faculty and students, Marathe traced the evolution of India’s cooperative movement and described cooperatives as people-centred economic institutions based on democratic functioning, ethical values and collective action.
He highlighted their potential across agriculture, banking, dairy, healthcare, housing and fisheries, stressing that active member participation and sound legal, financial and policy support are essential for sustainable and professionally managed cooperatives. He particularly underlined the scope for farmer cooperatives in agro-processing, value addition, marketing and access to wider markets, helping strengthen agricultural value chains.
Nalanda University Vice Chancellor Professor Sachin Chaturvedi also emphasised cooperatives’ importance in advancing inclusive growth through participation and collective action.
In a message to the Indian Cooperative, Marathe wrote, “It was very satisfying to deliver a lecture at a university that once attracted global attention for its academic excellence.”
