Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has announced two major cooperative-sector projects worth Rs 3,000 crore in Maharashtra, describing them as significant steps towards strengthening the country’s cooperative industrial ecosystem and advancing the vision of “Prosperity through Cooperation.”
Highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi government over the past 12 years, Shah said the country has witnessed new accomplishments across sectors ranging from space and agriculture to startups and cooperatives. He asserted that the cooperative movement is emerging as a key pillar of India’s economic growth and rural transformation.
The minister announced the establishment of a cooperative processing plant in Kolhapur with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore. The facility is expected to enhance value addition in agricultural and allied sectors while creating new opportunities for cooperative enterprises and farmers.
Shah also revealed plans for the revival of the National Heavy Engineering Cooperative in Pune through an investment of another Rs 1,500 crore. The initiative is aimed at strengthening industrial capabilities within the cooperative sector and reducing dependence on external suppliers for critical machinery and equipment.
According to Shah, the projects will support the production of citric acid and facilitate the setting up of compressed biogas (CBG) plants based on cow dung and molasses. They will also enable the manufacture of modern plants and machinery required by dairy, ethanol and sugar industries, sectors in which cooperatives have traditionally played a significant role.
He said the initiatives would help cooperative sugar mills and other cooperative institutions utilize profits more effectively while creating sustainable industrial infrastructure. The projects are expected to bring advanced technology, improve productivity and generate employment opportunities across the state.
Emphasizing Maharashtra’s long-standing contribution to the cooperative movement, Shah said the new investments would provide fresh momentum to the state’s industrial development and strengthen its position in national and global markets.
The minister expressed confidence that the projects would inject new energy, technology and strength into Maharashtra’s cooperative industry. He added that the initiatives would support the broader objective of transforming the state into a major hub for cooperative exports and manufacturing.
The announcements are being seen as part of the Centre’s continuing efforts to expand the scope of the cooperative sector beyond traditional activities and integrate it more closely with modern industry, value-added processing and emerging green-energy opportunities.
