The International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 Report was officially launched on Monday at the high-level “Manthan Baithak” of Cooperation Ministers from all States and Union Territories, held at the iconic Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
The meeting, convened under the broader vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for achieving prosperity through cooperation, brought together key policymakers to deliberate on strengthening India’s cooperative movement and aligning it with emerging economic opportunities.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched two significant documents during the brainstorming session that began at 11:00 AM, the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 Report and a Compendium on Innovative and Best Practices in States and Union Territories.
Officials said the IYC 2025 Report captures India’s progress, reforms and grassroots innovations in the cooperative sector during the International Year of Cooperatives. The document outlines strategic interventions, policy support measures and digital transformation initiatives aimed at making cooperatives more transparent, competitive and self-reliant.
The Compendium on Innovative and Best Practices highlights successful models from various States and UTs, showcasing how primary agricultural credit societies, dairy cooperatives, fisheries societies and urban cooperative institutions have adopted technology, improved governance and enhanced member participation. The compilation is expected to serve as a ready reference for replication of proven models across regions.
Addressing the gathering, Shah emphasized that cooperatives remain a vital pillar of rural development and inclusive growth. He noted that strengthening grassroots institutions through policy clarity, capacity building and technology integration would help realize the vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi.”
The Manthan Baithak is seen as a strategic platform for inter-state dialogue, enabling ministers to exchange ideas, share experiences and identify scalable solutions. The deliberations focused on modernization of cooperative structures, professional management practices, financial discipline and expanding the reach of cooperative enterprises into new sectors.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Cooperation and state governments participated in the discussions, underscoring a collective commitment to revitalizing the cooperative ecosystem. The launch of the IYC 2025 Report and the Best Practices Compendium is expected to provide renewed momentum to reforms and inspire states to adopt innovative approaches.
With cooperatives playing a crucial role in agriculture, dairy, fisheries, housing and rural credit, the Gandhinagar meet marked another step toward building a robust, transparent and technology-driven cooperative framework across the country.
