The Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), Pune, organised a four-day exposure visit programme on “Cooperative Business Model including MSCS Act, 2002” for officials of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS), Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) and Cooperative Ombudsman from October 6 to 9, 2026.
Supported by the Ministry of Cooperation, the programme aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of cooperative business models, governance practices, financial management and the regulatory framework governing multi-state cooperative societies.
The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Suva Kanta Mohanty, Director of VAMNICOM and CICTAB. Emphasising sound governance, regulatory accountability and member-centric management, Dr. Mohanty highlighted the importance of professional management practices and effective implementation of the regulatory framework for ensuring the long-term sustainability and credibility of cooperative institutions.
Dr. D. Ravi, Programme Director, outlined the programme’s objectives and stressed the importance of combining classroom learning with field-level exposure. He said visits to diverse cooperative institutions would provide participants with practical insights into business models, management systems, governance practices and the operational challenges faced by cooperatives.
The programme combined expert-led sessions on the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, and audit practices with visits to prominent cooperative institutions across Maharashtra.
On October 6, participants attended a session on the MSCS Act conducted by S. B. Patil before visiting Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd. and Venkateshwara Co-operative Power and Agro Processing Ltd. On October 7, sessions on audit and the MSCS Act byS. B. Patil, Smt. Shilpa Kadu, Deputy Registrar, Pune, and Jagadeesha M, SCO, were followed by a visit to Tuljabhavani Urban Multistate Cooperative Credit Society Ltd.
On October 8, the officials visited Shivsahyadri Sahakari Patpedhi Maryadit and Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd. to understand cooperative credit operations, governance arrangements and member services. On the final day, visits to IFFCO, Annapoorna Parivar and Katraj Dairy provided insights into the functioning of a large cooperative organisation, dairy operations and community-oriented initiatives.
The programme concluded with presentations by participants, who shared their key learnings and proposed action plans, followed by evaluation, feedback and valedictory remarks.
The participants identified four critical dimensions of effective cooperative functioning: member-centricity, governance, business sustainability, and regulation and accountability. Discussions highlighted that institutional performance depends not merely on statutory compliance but also on transparent decision-making, clearly defined management responsibilities, sound financial systems and responsiveness to members’ needs.
As part of their action plans, participants proposed adopting a member-centric approach to governance and compliance, strengthening the analytical review of audit, inquiry, inspection and statutory compliance matters, and sharing their learning with colleagues and cooperative institutions. The discussions reinforced the importance of integrating legal understanding, professional management and field-level experience to strengthen accountability and protect members’ interests.
The programme was conducted under the overall guidance of Dr. D. Ravi, while VAMNICOM faculty members Dr. Amit Borkar and Dr. Arvind Darshna coordinated the field visits and facilitated interactions with the participating institutions.
The participating officials included Arun Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar, Under Secretaries, along with Aditya, Kuldeep Singh Ranga, Smt. Kamla Masiwal and Smt. Lalita Choudhary.
VAMNICOM functions under the National Council for Cooperative Training and is promoted by the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India. Through management education, training, research, consultancy and capacity-building initiatives, the institute contributes to strengthening professional management, regulatory understanding and institutional accountability across the cooperative sector.
