The cooperative sector offers the most effective pathway to building a self-reliant India and creating large-scale employment for educated youth, speakers emphasized at the Youth Co-operative Seminar-2025 held in Ahmedabad.
The seminar was organised on December 29, 2025, by the Gujarat State Co-operative Union (GSCU) at H.K. Commerce College, Ashram Road, to mark the International Year of Co-operatives-2025 and to encourage college students to actively engage with the cooperative movement.
The seminar, themed “The Cooperative Sector is the Best Medium for a Self-Reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat)”, was presided over by eminent national cooperative leader and Chairman of GSCU, Ghanshyambhai Amin.
Inaugurating the programme, Ganpatbhai Patel, President of Ganpat University, highlighted that cooperation is not merely an economic model but a value-based system that builds health, wealth, skills, and employment. He underlined that youth must grow through learning, values, and culture, adding that deep knowledge and ethical grounding make young people useful contributors to society.
Addressing students, Ghanshyambhai Amin said cooperative activities are flourishing in over 118 countries and are expanding steadily. Referring to the UN declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Co-operatives with the theme “Co-operatives Build a Better World”, he said global and national leadership has clearly recognised the power of cooperation.
He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Prosperity through Cooperation” and the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation underline the sector’s national importance. Amin stressed that college years are decisive for careers and, since not all graduates can secure conventional jobs, educated youth should open new doors of employment by forming and joining cooperative societies, becoming owners and employers themselves.
Chief Guest Dileepbhai Sanghani, Chairman of IFFCO and President of NCUI, released the seminar booklet “Youth Prosperity through Cooperation”. Citing the success stories of Amul and IFFCO, he explained how cooperatives empower millions at the grassroots. He said youth are the backbone of a self-reliant India and must adopt cooperation in their lives to become partners in national development. The Ministry of Cooperation, he added, has initiated several measures to strengthen and expand the cooperative movement across the country.
Sunilbhai Chaudhary, Director (Sugar), Government of Gujarat, remarked that there is no real upliftment without cooperation, urging students to understand cooperative principles and utilise them for collective benefit. Guest of Honour Nareshbhai Patel, Minister for Tribal Development, Khadi and Cottage Industries, stressed that with over 62 per cent of India’s population being youth, self-reliance through cooperatives is both necessary and timely.
Around 600 students from across Gujarat attended the seminar, which also featured sessions on dairy-led development, cyber security, and motivation, reinforcing the message that cooperation can be a powerful engine for youth-led growth and nation-building.
