Highlighting the pivotal role played by Cosmos Cooperative Bank in shaping policy dialogue within the cooperative sector, Maharashtra’s State Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil on Monday said that the state’s upcoming cooperative policy would be inclusive, forward-looking and responsive to future challenges.
The minister was speaking at the state-level conference ‘Sahakar Manthan’, jointly organised by Cosmos Cooperative Bank and Green World Publication in Pune. He said that following the finalisation of the National Cooperative Policy, states have begun the process of framing their own cooperative policies, and Maharashtra is adopting a consultative and participatory approach.
According to Patil, the Cooperation Department is conducting division-wise meetings to gather suggestions from experts, officials and cooperative institutions, ensuring that grassroots experiences and regional perspectives are reflected in the final policy.
Organised in the backdrop of the International Year of Cooperatives, the ‘Sahakar Manthan’ conference saw wide participation from across Maharashtra, underlining Cosmos Cooperative Bank’s role as a key convenor of cooperative thought leadership.
Seventy-eight cooperative institutions participated, including cooperative sugar factories, milk producers’ unions, cooperative banks, urban credit societies, multi-state credit cooperative societies and cooperative housing institutions. More than 350 chairpersons, directors and managing directors from different cooperative organisations attended the event.
Deliberation sessions focused on emerging and critical issues such as cyber security, artificial intelligence and data protection under the Digital Personal Data Protection framework. Experts discussed the growing impact of technology on the cooperative sector, the importance of secure digital transactions and preparedness against future digital risks. The discussions emphasised that institutions must modernise operations while safeguarding member data and trust.
The inaugural session was attended by Maharashtra Sugar Commissioner Dr Sanjay Kolte, Administrator of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Vidyadhar Anaskar, Cosmos Cooperative Bank Chairman Adv. Pralhad Kokare and Green World Publication Chairman and author Gautam Kotwal.
At the valedictory session, select institutions were honoured with the ‘Green World Co-Pride 2025’ awards for their outstanding contributions to the cooperative movement. The awards were presented by State Cooperative Commissioner Deepak Taware, who said that best practices from other states would be studied while finalising Maharashtra’s policy. He stressed the need to encourage greater participation of youth and women and to strengthen cooperatives through adoption of modern technologies.
Cosmos Cooperative Bank Board of Management Chairman CA Milind Kale highlighted the social responsibility of cooperatives, stating that prosperity through cooperation is possible only when cooperative values are deeply embedded in society. He noted that Cosmos Bank’s inclusive approach combined with professional management has enabled it to grow sustainably while serving diverse sections of society.
In his introductory remarks, Gautam Kotwal emphasised the need to eliminate unhealthy practices in the cooperative sector and ensure a secure future for cooperative employees.
The conference was supported by Pune District Central Cooperative Bank, Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, Mahesh Urban Multi-State Credit Cooperative Society and Urja Milk.