At the 7th National Review Conference organised by the Ministry of Cooperation in Varanasi on April 9–10, 2026, Secretary Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani called for urgent modernisation of cooperative banks to keep pace with evolving financial needs.
Highlighting key priorities, Dr. Bhutani stressed the need for strong cyber security frameworks, secure digital platforms, and improved operational efficiency to ensure resilience in cooperative banking.
He underlined that institutions like District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) and Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) must adopt technology-driven solutions to remain competitive.
A major focus of the conference was diversification of business portfolios and strengthening credit delivery through PACS, enabling deeper rural outreach. He also emphasised balancing short-term and long-term lending to sustain growth.
Pointing to the role of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), Dr. Bhutani highlighted its growing importance in providing flexible financing support, with efforts underway to further expand funding avenues.
The conference sent a clear message: future-ready, tech-enabled cooperative banks are key to strengthening India’s rural financial ecosystem.
