As part of its digital transformation drive under the ENGAGE initiative, NABARD is set to launch an umbrella digital portal in September 2025 to monitor the performance of schemes supported by the Cooperative Development Fund (CDF) and other institutional initiatives.
The portal aims to bring greater transparency, efficiency, and real-time monitoring of cooperative development interventions.
The CDF, established in FY1993 with an initial corpus of Rs 10 crore, has grown significantly over the years through periodic allocations from NABARD’s annual profits. As of 31 March 2025, a cumulative amount of Rs 381.5 crore has been disbursed from the fund since inception. Following replenishments and appropriations, the corpus stands at Rs 200 crore as on 1 April 2025.
A large share of CDF assistance has been channelled towards capacity building, particularly under the Scheme of Financial Assistance for Training of Cooperative Banks Personnel (SOFTCOB).
Over the past three years, cooperative training institutions (CTIs) conducted more than 4,000 training programmes, benefitting over one lakh participants across the cooperative structure. To enhance effectiveness, NABARD also revised the SOFTCOB guidelines in FY2025, aligning them with emerging needs in the cooperative banking sector.
In addition, NABARD has extended a Comprehensive Support Plan under the CDF to priority regions, including the North Eastern states (with Sikkim), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Jammu & Kashmir.
This plan provides both capacity building and infrastructure support. As of 31 March 2025, Rs 1,009 lakh has been sanctioned to State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) in these areas, strengthening cooperative institutions in remote and underserved regions.
