Tumkur University, in collaboration with Karnataka State Souharda Federal Cooperative Ltd. (KSSFCL), hosted a National Conference on 3I Engine Driving India’s Journey to a 5 trillion Economy at the Sir Vishweshwarayya Auditorium recently.
The conclave brought together academicians, cooperative leaders, and policymakers to deliberate on how Innovation, Inclusion, and Investment can accelerate India’s economic aspirations.
Inaugurating the seminar, G. Nanjana Gowda, President of KSSFCL, emphasized that the ultimate aim of the cooperative movement is achieving economic equality. Tracing its origins back 180 years globally and to 1904 in India, he noted that cooperatives continue to support marginalized groups including farmers, women, SCs, and STs.
India today has over 32 crore members across 8 lakh cooperatives, making it the largest cooperative movement in the world. Institutions like Amul and IFFCO were hailed as models of success. He credited Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah’s initiatives- computerization of PACS, creation of Tribhuvan Cooperative University, and a new National Cooperative Policy- for driving reforms.
Delivering the keynote, Prof. K. Erasi said preparing students for the future should be central to cooperative efforts. He urged youth to focus on learning, innovation, and productive pursuits instead of mere entertainment.
Stressing sustainability, he warned that India’s growth must not come at the cost of the environment, and highlighted the importance of bridging the rich-poor divide through empowerment, employment, and investments. “The new slogan today is Innovate or Perish,” he said.
Sharanagouda G. Patil, Managing Director of KSSFCL, described the Souharda cooperative movement as a liberal, innovative model that has expanded to 6,500 cooperatives with significant employment generation. He pointed to successful ventures like e-stamping services through 1,750 centers across Karnataka, generating nearly Rs 2 crore daily for the state government.
Vice Chancellor Venkateshmaralu underlined India’s demographic advantage with 46 percent youth population, calling the 21st century the century of innovation. He urged young Indians to embrace technology and cited global agricultural innovations, such as those in Israel, as examples to learn from.
The conference witnessed strong academic participation, with 142 research papers submitted-74 presented offline and 42 online. Over 351 delegates including faculty, research scholars, and postgraduate students attended. Technical sessions were led by senior academics including Dr. Nandeesh V. Hiremath and Prof. P. Paramshiviah.
Prof. Paramshiviah, presenting a thematic paper, outlined that India’s 5 trillion dollar ambition rests firmly on the 3I framework. He said innovation will boost competitiveness through emerging technologies like AI and clean energy; inclusion will ensure equitable development through skill-building and financial access; and investment, both domestic and foreign, will create jobs, infrastructure, and sustainable growth.
In the valedictory, Sri Kotresh, Registrar of Tumkur University, stressed quality in research and recalled Swami Vivekananda’s view of education as the manifestation of perfection. He said universities must become centers of knowledge creation while strengthening India’s family system as a social foundation.
The event concluded with appreciation letters to participants and a vote of thanks from Dr. Srinivas Murthy, Organizing Secretary.
The conference agreed that India can achieve its $5 trillion economy goal by driving innovation, ensuring inclusion, and boosting investment, achieved through a partnership of cooperative institutions and academic expertise.
