In a landmark move aimed at strengthening farmer welfare and accelerating the digital transformation of India’s cooperative sector, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) today launched four major initiatives, including the KALYAN Scholarship Scheme for children of farming families and the e-auction platform NAFEX.in, at a grand event held at Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan in New Delhi.
The programme was inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, NAFED Chairman Jethabhai Ahir, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, NAFED Managing Director Deepak Agarwal, and NAFED Board members, including Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, Bijendra Singh, Mohanbhai Kundariya, Vishal Singh and Ashok Thakur, among others.
The newly launched initiatives include NAFEX.in, a dedicated digital auction portal for transparent agricultural commodity trading; DRISHTI, an integrated inventory management system; Saksham ERP, designed to streamline NAFED’s internal operations; and NAFED KALYAN, a scholarship programme aimed at supporting the higher education and career aspirations of farmers’ children.
Launching the initiatives, Amit Shah described them as a major step toward enhancing transparency, efficiency, and farmer-centric governance. He noted that NAFED, which was once facing severe financial difficulties, has undergone a remarkable transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Today, NAFED serves more than 74 lakh farmers, has achieved a turnover of Rs 30,000 crore and earns profits of nearly Rs 500 crore,” he said.
Shah emphasized that NAFED and NCCF must work towards procuring every grain of pulses directly from farmers, ensuring fair prices and eliminating intermediaries. He announced that efforts are underway to create a system where all farmers can directly sell pulses to these agencies and receive payments straight into their bank accounts within the next two years.
Highlighting NAFED’s diversification, Shah said the federation has expanded beyond procurement into organic farming, seed production, bio-fertilizers, food security, retail business, and international trade. He expressed confidence that NAFED’s turnover would rise from Rs 30,000 crore to over Rs 50,000 crore in the coming years.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the KALYAN Scholarship Scheme, under which NAFED has committed 1% of its annual profits for scholarships and career-development support for children of farmer families. Scholarship cheques were distributed to beneficiaries during the event.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan praised NAFED’s efforts to simplify procurement systems and enhance benefits for farmers, calling the scholarship initiative a meaningful investment in rural India’s future.
A live demonstration of the NAFEX.in portal and a film showcasing NAFED’s digital transformation journey were also presented, underscoring the cooperative giant’s growing role in building a modern, transparent, and farmer-focused agricultural ecosystem.
