In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the union cooperation minister Amit Shah said that the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has emerged as a key institution in strengthening India’s cooperative sector by providing crucial financial assistance and support.
“NCDC plays a transformative role by offering term loans, investment loans, and subsidies to cooperative societies, enabling their sustainable development and growth. While loans are provided from NCDC’s own funds, subsidies are extended by integrating with Central Sector Schemes, ensuring that cooperatives benefit from comprehensive financial support”, he stated.
NCDC’s assistance covers a wide range of activities that include marketing, processing, storage, cold chain development, industrial ventures, and the distribution of essential consumer goods. It also supports credit and service cooperatives, cooperative banking units, and agricultural services, while promoting district-level cooperative planning and aiding weaker section cooperatives. To ensure cooperatives are equipped for modern challenges, NCDC provides support for computerization and organizes promotional and developmental programs.
Through its focused schemes, NCDC has taken significant steps to enhance the impact of cooperatives in various fields. Yuva Sahakar promotes enterprise and innovation among newly formed cooperatives with fresh ideas. Ayushman Sahakar addresses the healthcare sector comprehensively, providing assistance for hospitals, medical education, nursing, paramedical education, holistic health systems, and health insurance.
Nandini Sahakar aims to empower women through cooperatives by supporting their entrepreneurial initiatives and improving their socio-economic status. Dairy Sahakar focuses on ESG-linked activities by facilitating infrastructure creation and modernization for cooperative dairy businesses. Digital Sahakar, aligned with the Digital India initiative, empowers cooperatives to embrace digital transformation through financial assistance and government incentives.
Swayam Shakti Sahakar Yojna supports agricultural credit cooperatives in providing financial assistance to women’s self-help groups, while Deerghavadhi Krishak Punji Sahakar Yojna extends long-term financial aid to agricultural cooperatives for their lending activities.
In addition to its own initiatives, NCDC implements various schemes of the Ministry of Cooperation and other government ministries to expand its reach and impact. These include providing grants for strengthening cooperative sugar mills, supporting agricultural marketing infrastructure, and promoting integrated post-harvest management under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture.
It also facilitates interest subvention and credit guarantees under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Scheme and supports programs like PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises, and the National Livestock Mission. NCDC contributes to the formation and promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations and aids in initiatives like Rashtriya Gokul Mission and the re-aligned Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund.
By ensuring financial assistance and aligning with government priorities, NCDC has established itself as a vital pillar of the cooperative movement in India. Its commitment to empowering cooperatives across diverse sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, dairy, and digitization reflects its vision for inclusive and sustainable development. Through its multifaceted initiatives, NCDC continues to play a crucial role in boosting the cooperative ecosystem and driving socio-economic progress nationwide.