The third edition of the ‘Cooperative Expo’, organized by the Kerala Department of Cooperation, was officially inaugurated at the Kanakakunnu Palace grounds in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
The event features stalls and exhibitions from various cooperative institutions across the state and beyond.
Dr. Prem Kumar, Minister for Cooperation, Government of Bihar, was the chief guest at the event. He was welcomed with the official expo kit during a formal ceremony attended by dignitaries and officials from the cooperative sector. Kerala Cooperation Minister V. N. Vasavan accompanied the Bihar Cooperation Minister at the event.
Prominent figures from the cooperative movement, including Gopi Kottamurikkal, Chairman of the Kerala State Cooperative Bank, along with senior officials from Kerala’s Cooperative Department, also participated in the event.
As part of strengthening interstate ties in the cooperative sector, Dr. Prem Kumar was presented with a memento. He later toured the exhibition halls, which feature a wide array of cooperative institutions and enterprises operating across Kerala.
The cooperative movement in Kerala has played a vital role in sectors such as healthcare, education, tourism, women’s empowerment, infrastructure development, and poverty alleviation. The state currently boasts over 23,000 cooperative institutions, reflecting its strong commitment to this inclusive economic model.