The National Cooperation Policy (NCP) 2025 marks a strategic roadmap for revitalizing India’s cooperative sector to meet the nation’s goal of becoming “Viksit” by 2047. Rooted in the ethos of Sahkar-se-Samriddhi, this policy aims to build on the unique strengths of India’s cooperative tradition, promote economic democratization, and uplift rural economies through collective participation.
Key Highlights of the Policy
Legislative and Institutional Reforms
- Encourage States to amend cooperative laws (Cooperative Societies Acts and Rules) to enhance transparency, autonomy and the ease of doing business.
- Promote digitalization of registrar offices and real-time cooperative databases.
- Revive sick cooperatives with institutional mechanisms.
Financial Empowerment
- Preserve and promote the three-tier Primary Agriculture Credit Societies – District Central Cooperative Bank – State Cooperative Bank credit structure.
- Promote cooperative banks and umbrella organizations (like National Urban Cooperative Finance & Development Corporation).
- Enable cooperative banks to handle government businesses.
Business Ecosystem Development
- Model cooperative villages with multipurpose PACS as growth engines.
- Encouraging States/UTs to develop at least one model cooperative village.
- Develop rural economic clusters(e.g., honey, spices, tea).
- Support branding under the ‘Bharat’
Future-Readiness & Technology
- Develop a national ‘Cooperative Stack’ integrating with Agri-stack and databases.
- Promote Open Network for Digital Commerce(ONDC) and Government e-marketplace (GeM) platform integration.
- Encourage research and innovation through cooperative incubators and Centres of Excellence.
Sectoral Diversification
- Promote cooperatives in new and emerging sectors such as:
- Renewable energy,
- Waste management,
- Health and education,
- Mobile-based aggregator services (e.g., for plumbers, taxi drivers),
- Organic and natural farming,
- Biogas and ethanol production, etc.
The National Cooperation Policy 2025 reaffirms India’s commitment to strengthening cooperative institutions as inclusive and decentralized engines of development. It combines democratic participation with economic competitiveness, aiming to uplift millions by integrating cooperative values with modern practices. The policy not only reinvigorates traditional cooperative sectors but also opens new frontiers in energy, tech, and services – truly making cooperatives a ‘second engine’ of India’s economic growth by 2047.
