The cooperative sector is steadily moving beyond its traditional role in agriculture and rural credit, emerging as an important participant in India’s wider economic activity. A fresh example is the proposed entry of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) into railway catering, with passengers on Vande Bharat and other premium trains set to get food supplied through the cooperative federation.
The initiative gives a new dimension to NAFED’s expanding business portfolio and brings cooperative institutions closer to millions of consumers. NAFED’s mandate already extends across agricultural marketing, processing, storage, retail, inter-state and international trade, besides supporting cooperative marketing and supply societies.
The move comes against the backdrop of a broader policy push to position cooperatives as engines of economic growth. The National Cooperative Policy 2025 notes that India has more than eight lakh cooperative societies with around 30 crore members, spanning dairy, housing, labour, fisheries, sugar, consumer activities, marketing, processing and services.
The policy seeks to substantially increase the cooperative sector’s contribution to the national economy and bring at least 50 crore people within the cooperative fold over the coming decade.
NAFED itself illustrates this diversification. Besides agricultural procurement and marketing, it operates retail outlets and supplies grocery products to institutions, while also promoting organic products and supporting the development of more than 1,200 FPOs across India.
The railway initiative therefore represents more than a catering contract. It demonstrates how cooperatives can enter mainstream consumer-facing services and create new markets for products linked to farmers and producer organisations.
From fertilisers and dairy to seeds, exports, food processing, retail, transportation and now railway services, cooperatives are increasingly being integrated into multiple segments of the economy. The Ministry of Cooperation has also promoted initiatives such as Bharat Taxi, White Revolution 2.0, grain storage and diversification of PACS, reflecting the sector’s widening economic footprint.
NAFED’s proposed presence on premium trains could thus become another visible example of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” in action, connecting cooperative enterprises directly with consumers while opening additional avenues for value creation, employment and income generation.
Good Quality of rice & Pulses but not reaching ur getting in Surat city of Gujarat other cities I don’t know? Onc I visited Stall in Food Fair held in Surat last year
Good Quality of rice & Pulses but not reaching ur getting in Surat city of Gujarat other cities I don’t know? Onc I visited Stall in Food Fair held in Surat last year