The International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025, declared by the United Nations, concluded on 31 December 2025, marking a historic year-long global celebration of the cooperative movement and its critical role in promoting inclusive and sustainable development. Throughout the year, cooperatives were showcased as engines of resilient economies, community empowerment and shared prosperity across nations.
In India, IYC 2025 was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described cooperatives as a people-centric economic model that places farmers, women, youth and small entrepreneurs at the core of national development.
Addressing an international gathering at the inaugural event, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi”, calling cooperatives a powerful instrument for social justice, economic democracy and grassroots empowerment.
During the year, hundreds of programmes, conferences, workshops and outreach initiatives were organised across the country. From national-level cooperative conventions to grassroots awareness campaigns, IYC 2025 witnessed active participation from Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy and fisheries cooperatives, women-led cooperatives and multi-state cooperative institutions.
Several new and historic developments took place during the year under the leadership of the Union Ministry of Cooperation, headed by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. Key initiatives included the launch of the National Cooperative Policy 2025, along with multiple reforms aimed at strengthening governance, transparency and sustainability within the cooperative sector.
Many national-level cooperative institutions, including IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NCUI, NCDC, NABARD, NAFSCOB, NAFCUB, and others, joined hands to make IYC 2025 a truly historic movement.
States such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Ladakh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, among others, hosted major events focusing on cooperative reforms, digitisation, youth participation and women’s empowerment. Special emphasis was placed on the modernisation of PACS, strengthening rural credit systems and expanding cooperative participation in emerging sectors.
The year also witnessed strong international engagement, with India’s cooperative model gaining recognition on global platforms for its scale, inclusivity and impact.
As IYC 2025 formally came to a close, it left behind a lasting legacy, reaffirming that cooperatives are not merely economic institutions, but a people-driven movement capable of shaping a more equitable and sustainable future.
