Amit Shah Chairs ‘Manthan Baithak’ to Revive India’s Cooperative Ecosystem

In a landmark step to reinvigorate India's vast and historic cooperative sector, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chaired the “Manthan Baithak” in New Delhi, bringing together Ministers of Cooperation from all States and Union Territories, along with senior bureaucrats including Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries of Cooperation Departments. The meeting marked a key milestone in the celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025, and signaled a unified resolve to restructure, modernize, and empower the cooperative movement nationwide.

Organized by the Ministry of Cooperation, the day-long conclave served as a powerful platform for policy dialogue, review of implementation, and exchange of best practices among stakeholders tasked with strengthening India’s cooperative model at every level.

A Vision Rooted in Sahkar Se Samriddhi

In his inaugural address, Shri Amit Shah reiterated that the formation of a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a historic intervention aimed at restoring India’s age-old cooperative legacy and aligning it with contemporary development goals. He emphasized that while the past ten years of the Modi government were focused on meeting basic needs of 60–70 crore underprivileged citizens—housing, sanitation, food, water, healthcare—the next leap is about economic empowerment, especially through collective entrepreneurship enabled by the cooperative framework.

“For a country of 140 crore, growth of GDP, GSDP, and mass-scale employment generation are critical. Cooperation is the only tool that can democratize entrepreneurship and generate livelihood opportunities at the grassroots,” Shah emphasized.

Key Reforms and Strategic Initiatives Under Review

The “Manthan Baithak” focused on evaluating the 60 key initiatives launched by the Ministry of Cooperation over the past four years. These included:

• National Cooperative Database: A transformative tool for mapping cooperative presence across states. It aims to ensure that no village in India remains without a cooperative institution in the next five years.

• Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU): Conceptualized to provide structured and standardized training and certification for cooperative professionals. States have been urged to affiliate at least one training institute with TSU.

• Model National Cooperative Policy Act: A unified framework being developed to introduce transparency, innovation, and discipline in cooperative operations.

Empowering Rural India: PACS, Dairy, Fisheries, and Natural Farming

A critical agenda item was the establishment of 2 lakh Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (M-PACS). Shri Shah directed that the 2025–26 target should be met by February 2025, reinforcing the government's urgency to operationalize rural credit and service delivery systems through cooperatives.

Emphasis was also placed on promoting natural farming, with a directive for state cooperation ministers to work in tandem with agriculture departments to ensure environmental sustainability and rural health.

The dialogue also evaluated schemes under the White Revolution 2.0, targeting a circular and sustainable dairy economy, as well as the integration of fisheries cooperatives to expand rural livelihood options.

Financial Reforms: Urban Co-op Banks and Shared Services Entities

Acknowledging past inefficiencies, Shah candidly addressed the challenges faced by Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Credit Cooperative Societies, citing issues of mismanagement, nepotistic hiring, and lack of accountability.

He noted that bringing cooperative banks under the ambit of the Banking Regulation Act and Reserve Bank of India oversight was a decisive reform. Moving forward, UCBs must recruit on merit, operate with financial transparency, and adopt Shared Services Entities (SSEs) to reduce redundancy and improve efficiency.

The establishment of an umbrella organization for UCBs was discussed to provide regulatory guidance, technical support, and risk mitigation.

National Cooperative Policy (2025–2045): Roadmap to 100 Years of Independence

The centrepiece of the deliberations was the upcoming National Cooperative Policy, which will define India’s cooperative landscape for the next two decades—leading up to the centenary of India's independence in 2047.

This policy will be:

• Customized at the state level, aligning with local cooperative environments

• Guided by quantifiable goals and performance metrics

• Focused on inclusion, sustainability, and decentralization

Shri Shah urged all states to announce their respective cooperative policies by 31st January 2026 to ensure alignment with the national strategy.

Strengthening National Cooperative Institutions and Digital Transformation

The ministers also reviewed the performance and potential of the newly launched national-level multi-state cooperative societies:

• National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) – focused on boosting cooperative exports

• National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) – promoting organic farming and marketing

• Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) – improving access to quality seeds

Discussions also covered:

• Implementation of the world’s largest grain storage scheme in the cooperative sector

• Progress on computerization of PACS and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) offices

• Use of National Cooperative Database as a real-time planning and monitoring tool

A Platform for Shared Commitment and Cooperative Federalism

Reflecting the ethos of “Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives”, a model successfully tested in Gujarat, the Baithak brought states together in the spirit of cooperative federalism. The delegates reiterated their commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’, pledging support to inclusive development through decentralized, people-driven institutions.

The conference reaffirmed that the cooperative sector can be a pillar of India’s economic future—serving farmers, artisans, small entrepreneurs, and every citizen seeking opportunity through community-driven development.