The National Centre for Cooperative Education (NCCE), the training and education wing of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), has launched a two-day Youth Cooperative Awareness Programme aimed at familiarising young people with the cooperative movement, its values, business opportunities and role in nation-building.
Being conducted online from August 20 to 21, 2026, the programme has received an encouraging response, with more than 380 participants from 20 states of India and Nepal registering for the programme.
The initiative seeks to strengthen awareness among youth about the potential of cooperatives as vehicles for entrepreneurship, employment generation, inclusive growth and community-led development. The participation from across India as well as Nepal highlights the growing interest among young people in exploring opportunities within the cooperative sector.
The programme commenced with an opening session led by Rajeev Sharma, Executive Director, NCUI, along with Dipti Yadav, Deputy Director, NCUI, and Amita Kumari, Assistant Director, NCUI.
Sharma addressed participants on cooperative governance and successful business models, highlighting the importance of professional management and sound governance for building sustainable cooperative enterprises.
Umashankar Das, Deputy Registrar, spoke on empowering youth through cooperatives, business diversification and the process of constituting cooperative societies. His session focused on how young people can use the cooperative model to pursue collective entrepreneurship and develop new economic activities.
S.K. Verma, former Director, NCUI conducted a session on social media and cooperatives, highlighting the importance of digital platforms in communication, outreach, branding and engagement with younger generations.
Dipti Yadav also briefed participants on the objectives, structure and schedule of the programme, providing an overview of the learning opportunities available during the two-day initiative.
The programme reflects NCCE’s efforts to bring greater youth participation into the cooperative movement at a time when the sector is seeking to expand into new areas and adopt modern technologies and business practices.
The enthusiastic response from participants demonstrates increasing interest among young people in cooperatives, entrepreneurship and alternative models of collective enterprise. By equipping youth with knowledge of cooperative principles, governance and business opportunities, the programme seeks to encourage a new generation of cooperative leaders and entrepreneurs.
