National Cooperation Policy, 2025

Domain

Achievements & Initiatives

New Institutions

• NUCFDC – National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited, an umbrella body for Urban Cooperative Banks.
  • Recognised as Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) by RBI.
• Sahakar Sarathi Limited – Provides IT infrastructure and digital banking services to State Cooperative Banks (SCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs).
• Tribhuvan Sahkari University – Apex national institution for standardised, industry-driven cooperative education and training.
• NCEL (National Cooperative Export Limited) – Promotes export of cooperative sector products to international markets.
• BBSSL (Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited) – Seed-focused cooperative for production, certification, procurement, processing, storage, branding, and packaging.
• NCOL (National Cooperative Organics Limited) – Umbrella body for organic products aggregation, certification, testing, storage, processing, logistics, marketing, and finance facilitation.

Governance Reform

• Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, amended in 2023 to facilitate good governance and transparency.

Financial Environment

• Accessible and affordable finance.
• Equal business opportunities for cooperatives.

Expansion & Markets

• Multi-dimensional expansion, including international markets and increasing members’ income.

Digitalisation

• Adoption of technology for efficient and transparent management.
• Computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) for linkage with NABARD, SCBs, and DCCBs.

New & Emerging Sectors

• Promotion of cooperatives in new and emerging sectors (e.g., mobility through Bharat Taxi).

Sustainability & Circular Economy

• Environment-friendly practices with new cooperatives, namely,
  • Inputs & Services Delivery Society (dairy productivity).
  • Gomay Sahkari Samiti (manure, renewable energy, organic fertilizers).

Data & Inclusion

• National Cooperation Database with gender and weaker section disaggregated data.

Cooperative Business Models

• Bharat Taxi – India’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform with zero commission; profits distributed to drivers.

Constitutional provisions for Co-operative Societies

• 7^th schedule –
  • Entry 44 of the List I – Union List for objects not confined to one State.
  • Entry 32 of the List II – State List for objects confined to one State.
• Fundamental Rights – Article 19(1)(c) deals with the right to form cooperative societies.
• Directive Principles of State Policy – Article 43B mentions about state policy for the promotion of cooperatives.
• Part IX B – ‘The Cooperative Societies’ was inserted with provisions for incorporation, regulation and winding up of co-operative societies.
• Article 19(1) (c), Article 43B, part IX B were added by 97th constitutional amendment act.