Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha that the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)-approved Post Graduate Diploma in Management-Agri Business Management (PGDM-ABM) launched by the Regional Institute of Cooperative Management (RICM) is steadily gaining momentum as a specialized programme designed to strengthen India’s agri-business and cooperative ecosystem.
The PGDM-ABM programme aims to develop competent agri-business managers equipped with decision-making and leadership capabilities, while also imparting managerial skills relevant to agriculture, cooperatives, and allied sectors. Emphasis is placed on applied learning through case studies, field exposure, and institutional linkages.
The course also seeks to support agri-based organizations with consultancy and policy-oriented solutions, creating a pipeline of professionals who can contribute to both industry and rural development.
The target outcomes of the programme are equally ambitious. It is designed to prepare agriculture graduates to become industry-ready professionals, build a cadre of trained managers for cooperatives and agro-enterprises, encourage entrepreneurial initiatives in agri-business, and enhance policy contribution through academic-industry collaboration.
Currently, the programme is being run at RICM Gandhinagar and RICM Chandigarh. At Gandhinagar, the year-wise enrolment and placement figures indicate strong industry demand for graduates of the course. Against an available intake of 60 seats per batch, 192 students have enrolled across the five batches from 2020 to 2026, with 166 of them already placed successfully in various organizations.
The first four batches show a near-100 percent placement record, reflecting the growing relevance of agri-business management education. The 2024–26 batch is ongoing with 26 enrolments. Meanwhile, RICM Chandigarh has introduced the course from this academic year with an initial intake of 30 students.
The programme has established notable collaborations with industry, ensuring internships, field training, live projects, and placement support. Among the leading collaborators are Banaskantha District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. (Banas Dairy), Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. (Amul Dairy), the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Palanpur, Adani Industries Ltd., IHSEDU Agrochem Pvt. Ltd., Dhanuka Agritech Ltd., and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizer & Chemicals Ltd.
These partnerships provide students with hands-on exposure to areas such as dairy, agri-inputs, marketing, and agro-processing, which are crucial for professional development in the agri-business sector.
In addition, RICMs have forged strong academic linkages with premier institutions including Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), International Agribusiness Management Institute, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.
These collaborations allow for knowledge sharing through expert lectures, joint programmes, research initiatives, and entrepreneurial mentoring, enriching the academic experience of students.
The PGDM-ABM course is a self-financed programme duly approved by AICTE, with the government extending grant-in-aid support for staff salaries. In the financial year 2024–25, RICM Gandhinagar received Rs 168.96 lakh and RICM Chandigarh Rs 189.75 lakh under this provision.
Beyond the PGDM programme, RICMs located at Bangalore, Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, Kalyani, and Patna continue to play a vital role in training and capacity building in rural and semi-urban areas. Collectively, these institutes conducted 928 programmes for 51,657 participants in 2022–23, 1,106 programmes for 62,781 participants in 2023–24, and 1,113 programmes for 82,645 participants in 2024–25.
Altogether, over three years, 3,147 programmes have trained nearly two lakh participants, underscoring the extensive outreach of NCCT-affiliated RICMs in building managerial capacity at the grassroots.
Shah emphasized that such initiatives will not only expand professional opportunities for agriculture graduates but also strengthen the cooperative sector and enhance India’s preparedness to meet emerging challenges in food security, rural livelihoods, and sustainable agricultural growth.
