Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Ministry of Cooperation has, in its first five years, laid a strong foundation for transforming India’s cooperative movement into a modern, transparent, technology-driven and globally competitive ecosystem.
Addressing the Ministry’s fifth Foundation Day celebrations in New Delhi, Shah said the creation of a separate Cooperation Ministry under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has infused new energy into over 30 crore people associated with more than 8.5 lakh cooperative institutions across the country.
Describing the past five years as a “golden period” for the cooperative sector, Shah said the ministry has identified long-pending challenges, unlocked new opportunities and prepared a comprehensive roadmap for the sector’s future growth. He asserted that when India celebrates the centenary of Independence in 2047, the cooperative movement will serve as one of the strongest pillars of a prosperous nation.
Highlighting the ministry’s achievements, Shah said a unified digital database covering over 32 crore cooperative members and more than 8.58 lakh cooperative societies has been created, enabling better planning, governance and transparency. Nine national-level cooperative societies have also been established to integrate sectors such as agriculture, dairy, exports, logistics, mobility, organic farming and seed production, with the aim of building globally competitive cooperative enterprises over the coming decade.
The minister said strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) has been a major priority.
Around Rs 3,000 crore has been invested in computerising PACS, resulting in nearly 50,000 e-PACS. More than 55,000 PACS are now delivering over 300 Common Service Centre services, while 39,000 function as Kisan Samruddhi Kendras and over 600 operate Jan Aushadhi Kendras, significantly expanding their role in rural service delivery.
Shah also underlined reforms in cooperative banking, including digital banking, e-KYC and cyber security, which have helped increase the business of district cooperative banks from Rs 19.6 lakh crore to over Rs 25 lakh crore while substantially reducing non-performing assets.
He said the proposed Tribhuvan Cooperative University will create a professional workforce for banking, dairy, agriculture and cooperative management, improving transparency, efficiency and governance across the sector.
In agriculture, Shah said Bharat Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited is expected to emerge as India’s largest seed production company within three years, supplying farmers with quality indigenous and high-yielding seeds through new production units across states.
He added that cooperatives are also being leveraged to promote organic farming, bio-fertilisers, gobar management, renewable energy and circular economy initiatives, while strengthening market linkages from villages to global markets.
During the event, the minister inaugurated and launched several projects and digital initiatives, including warehouses, AI-enabled banking platforms, dairy productivity programmes, tissue culture facilities, digital cooperative applications and the conversion of 50,000 PACS into e-PACS.
An agreement to strengthen India’s seed ecosystem and a publication documenting the ministry’s achievements over the past five years were also unveiled, reflecting the government’s continued emphasis on making cooperatives a key driver of inclusive rural development.
