NCUI President Dileep Sanghani envisions 2025 as a transformative year for India’s cooperative sector, aligning with the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the “International Year of Cooperatives.”
Sanghani highlights NCUI’s efforts to modernize cooperatives through skill development, entrepreneurship programs, digital initiatives like NCUI e-Haat, and partnerships with institutions nationwide. Strategic collaborations aim to enhance education, research, and cooperative activities, while training programs and workshops focus on governance, compliance, and sustainability.
NCUI is expanding global ties and hosting international delegations, showcasing India’s leadership in the cooperative movement. Sanghani emphasizes inclusivity, sustainable development, and aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi.’ He calls for renewed commitment to scaling new heights in cooperative growth and development-Editor
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Dear Fellow Co-operators,
New Year Greetings!
As we step into 2025, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all cooperative leaders, members, and stakeholders across India and beyond. The New Year offers a moment to reflect on our achievements and set ambitious goals for the future.
The Union Ministry of Cooperation, under Shri Amit Shah, has launched over 55 initiatives to revive, modernize, and empower the cooperative sector. Key measures include strengthening primary cooperative societies, establishing three new multi-state cooperatives (NCEL, BBSSL, and NCOL), providing tax relief, reviving sugar mills, improving cooperative banks, expanding NCDC, and enabling cooperatives to buy on the GeM Portal. These steps aim to diversify the sector and enhance its impact.
NCUI, being the apex body leading the cooperative movement in the country, works closely with the Ministry in implementing these initiatives. The past year has been a period of remarkable progress and milestones for the Union. By aligning with the objectives and initiatives of Ministry of Cooperation, NCUI undertook several initiatives to expand the horizons of the cooperative movement in accordance with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’.
The National Centre for Cooperative Education (NCCE), the training and education wing of NCUI during the year achieved phenomenal success by organizing wide-ranging training programs covering all sectors of the cooperative movement. Through NCUI’s Cooperative Education Field Projects, including the North-East and women-focused initiatives, various innovative skill development programs were organized benefitting a large section of the participants. The Coop Connect Division was actively involved in organizing several successful cooperative awareness programs for the students of several schools, colleges, and universities with a focus on career and entrepreneurial opportunities.
NCUI’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperation (CEDC) facilitated market outreach, skill development, and sustainable livelihoods. The Incubation Centre trained over 5,000 women entrepreneurs in Delhi, and the Skill Development Centre in Noida collaborated with corporate partners to enhance training infrastructure. The Cooperative Fair in October 2024 attracted 4,000-5,000 visitors, with sales exceeding Rs 22-25 lakh.
NCUI’s initiatives like NCUI Haat and the digital NCUI e-Haat have created valuable opportunities for cooperatives, particularly women-led groups, aligning with “Vocal for Local” and the National Livelihood Mission. The 71st All India Cooperative Week in November 2024 focused on building ‘Viksit Bharat’ and highlighted the cooperative model’s transformative power.
NCUI’s Strategic partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with esteemed institutions such as the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), the National Consumer Cooperative Federation (NCCF), the Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council (HCSSC), the Gandhigram Rural Institute of Tamil Nadu, Mahila Abhivruddhi Society (APMAS) of Hyderabad, the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Gujarat and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), among others, have strengthened our efforts in education, research, and sectoral development. These collaborations are fostering innovation and broadening the scope of cooperative activities in emerging areas.
The National Cooperative Resource Centre (NCRC), the research think tank of NCUI, has been pivotal in cooperative education and training, addressing governance challenges, catering to sector-specific needs, and promoting the formation of new cooperatives. Its mission is to transform cooperatives into competitive business enterprises and self-regulatory institutions.
The center has been instrumental in developing comprehensive training modules on cooperatives’ fundamentals and sectoral aspects, releasing them on the Cooperative Extension & Advisory Services (CEAS) Learning Management System Portal. The CEAS Division conducted specialized Training of Trainers (ToT) programs on PACS and housing cooperatives across various states, including New Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Jharkhand. Additionally, targeted series of training programs on ‘Responsible Governance, Compliance, and Sustainability’ for Cooperative Information Officers (CIOs) and Ombudsman of multi-state cooperative societies were conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Cooperation in different parts of the country.
NCUI organized a two-day workshop in Ladakh on “Promotion and Development of Cooperatives,” focusing on creating a sustainable cooperative ecosystem aligned with the region’s cultural and geographical strengths. Additionally, in collaboration with cooperative organizations of Gujarat, NCUI held the ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ Conference at Gandhinagar on July 6, 2024, marking the 102nd International Day of Cooperatives.
NCUI’s International Relations Division has strengthened global ties, hosting delegations from the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia (IKMa), Brazilian agro-industrial cooperatives, the State Great Hural (Parliament of Mongolia), and the Fana Youth Saving and Credit Cooperative in Tigray, Ethiopia. These collaborations have enabled knowledge exchange and fostered partnerships, highlighting India’s leadership in the global cooperative movement.
The historic hosting of the ICA Global Cooperative Conference by India and the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the ‘International Year of Cooperatives’ have further elevated India’s standing in the global cooperative movement. These milestones affirm the significance of cooperatives as instruments of sustainable development and inclusive growth.
Reflecting on these initiatives during the past year, it is apparent that India’s cooperative sector is experiencing a dramatic revival. NCUI ensures that cooperatives maintain their democratic and equitable values while contributing to inclusive and sustainable development by emphasizing education, advocacy, and resource support.
As we embark on 2025, the International Year of Cooperatives, we do so with a renewed sense of hope and purpose. The year presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase India’s cooperative movement globally and strengthen NCUI’s role as a leader in the Indian cooperative sector. By joining hands with the government, we will ensure that the cooperative movement scales new heights of growth and development.
Let us move forward with determination, embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.
Wishing you all a prosperous, impactful, and cooperative New Year 2025!
(Dileep Sanghani)
NCUI President
New Delhi
