As part of the celebrations for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) organised a five-day Study Exposure Visit to Gujarat from July 3–7, 2025. The objective was to offer delegates from various cooperative institutions across India a firsthand experience of Gujarat’s thriving and innovative cooperative movement.
A key highlight of the visit was the participation of the delegation in the bhoomi pujan ceremony for Tribhuvan Sahakari University in Anand on July 5, performed by the Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Amit Shah. The event symbolized a historic step towards building an academic institution solely focused on cooperative education and research.
On the sidelines of this significant occasion, the delegates engaged in insightful interactions with top cooperative leaders, including Dileep Sanghani, President of NCUI and Chairman of IFFCO, Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, President of the International Cooperative Alliance – Asia Pacific (ICA-AP), and Ms. Jeena Potsangbam, Governing Council Member of NCUI. These interactions provided a deeper understanding of the policy and leadership frameworks shaping the cooperative ecosystem in India.
The itinerary included an immersive visit to the Amul Dairy Plant and the Amul Chocolate Factory in Anand,
where delegates studied the world-renowned Amul Cooperative Model. They witnessed how dairy cooperatives consistently enhance value addition, improve production processes, and deliver tangible benefits to millions of dairy farmers through professional management and innovation.
The visit also included a session at the Gujarat State Cooperative Union, where Chairman G H Amin welcomed the delegation and facilitated a comprehensive briefing on Gujarat’s cooperative history, strategies, and milestones.
This was followed by an informative interaction at Gujcomasol, the apex body for cooperative marketing and supply in Gujarat. Y A Bloch, Adviser, and J J Rupapara, General Manager, shared the organisation’s achievements in strengthening cooperative agriculture input services.
Beyond institutional visits, the programme included exposure to Gujarat’s cultural and historical landmarks such as the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, associated with Mahatma Gandhi, and the majestic Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Narmada, commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy. These visits underscored the deep interlinkages between Gujarat’s cultural pride and cooperative ethos.
The exposure tour was conceptualised by Ritesh Dey, Executive Director, NCUI, and coordinated by Pankaj Gupta, Assistant Director, NCUI, who accompanied the delegation throughout the journey. Delegates expressed their heartfelt appreciation to NCUI for organising such a valuable learning experience and recommended similar exposure visits be conducted in other states and even abroad to replicate best practices.
The tour reaffirmed Gujarat’s status as one of India’s most dynamic cooperative states and demonstrated how grassroots empowerment and institutional innovation can go hand in hand in building a self-reliant, inclusive economy.
