Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament that the government has launched the New National Cooperation Policy, 2025 on 24th July, 2025, providing a comprehensive roadmap for the systematic and all-round development of India’s cooperative sector.
Shah stated that the policy lays out a mission to achieve 16 key objectives over the next 10 years, grouped under six strategic mission pillars. The policy, he added, is already under implementation in many areas and aims to ensure that cooperatives function with greater autonomy, transparency, and professionalism while expanding their reach and inclusivity.
Under the first pillar, the policy focuses on creating a conducive legal and regulatory environment, fostering accessible and affordable finance, and strengthening cooperation among cooperatives to expand their geographical presence.
The second pillar is aimed at promoting vibrancy, including the development of a cooperative business ecosystem and access to international markets to raise members’ incomes.
To make cooperatives future ready, the policy emphasizes greater technology adoption and the transformation of cooperatives into professionally managed economic entities without compromising cooperative principles.
Highlighting inclusivity, the policy underlines the need to reach every corner of the country through the cooperative setup, making cooperatives a true people’s movement with active participation of youth and women.
The fifth pillar encourages cooperatives to enter new and emerging sectors, while also promoting environment-friendly practices and a circular economy for sustainability.
The final pillar focuses on shaping the young generation for cooperative growth by motivating youth to build careers in cooperatives, introducing high-quality cooperative-focused courses, and developing a strong ecosystem for skilling, upskilling, and employment opportunities in the sector.
Shah emphasized that this policy will serve as a transformational framework, enabling cooperatives to play a decisive role in India’s economic growth and in realizing the vision of “Sahkar se Samridhi”.
It bears recalling that during the launch of the National Cooperative Policy, former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu, who led the policy’s drafting, described it as the “Panchatantra of the cooperative sector.”
He said the policy is not just a framework for reforms, but a guiding document full of wisdom, direction, and strategy for the holistic development of cooperatives in India.
Prabhu stated that the policy aims not only to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem but also to contribute to nation-building by empowering citizens. “It provides a roadmap for future growth while remaining rooted in our values, just like the Panchatantra,” he remarked.