India and Slovakia have discussed ways to deepen cooperation in the cooperative sector, with a particular focus on rural retail networks, technology-driven services and greater participation of women in cooperatives.
The discussions took place on Tuesday, at Atal Akshaya Urja Bhawan, New Delhi, during a meeting between senior officials of the Ministry of Cooperation and representatives of the Slovak Republic.
The Slovak delegation was led by Ambassador Robert Maxian and Trade Commissioner Simona Novosadova. Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Bhutani, Additional Secretary Siddharth Jain and Joint Secretary Anand Kumar Jha represented the Indian side.
A key area of discussion was Slovakia’s experience with consumer retail cooperatives and automated 24×7 hybrid stores that provide essential retail services to rural communities through app-based access and cashless payments.
The two sides also discussed women’s participation in cooperatives, particularly their role in employment and management. India explored the possibility of drawing lessons from Slovakia’s rural cooperative retail model for implementing the National Cooperation Policy 2025.
Both sides agreed to continue dialogue and explore opportunities for exchanging cooperative experiences and best practices.
