On July 5, 2025, communities across the globe gathered to celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives. This year’s observance carries special weight as it coincides with the United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives, a global recognition of the transformative power of people-centered development. The theme, “Cooperatives: Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for a Better World,” resonates deeply with India, a nation whose cooperative journey is not just historical but profoundly human.
India’s cooperative story began long before independence, entrenched in the ancient ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family. Long before formal laws were enacted, Indian villages practiced collective management of water, forests, and land. But it was in the crucible of colonial hardship that the modern cooperative movement took shape. In the late 1800s, faced with exploitative moneylenders and failing harvests, farmers began forming credit societies to reclaim their economic agency. These early cooperatives were more than financial instruments, they were lifelines of dignity and solidarity.
By the time India gained independence in 1947, the cooperative spirit had already begun to intertwine with the national consciousness. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel saw cooperation not merely as an economic model but as a moral imperative. In Gujarat, dairy farmers led by Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel and later Dr. Verghese Kurien laid the foundation for Amul, a cooperative that would revolutionize India’s dairy sector and empower millions of rural families. In Maharashtra, sugar cooperatives transformed agrarian communities into engines of prosperity and political agency.
The post-independence era saw the cooperative model embraced as a cornerstone of nation-building. The government actively promoted cooperatives across agriculture, banking, housing, and consumer services. Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) proliferated, offering affordable loans to farmers. Cooperative banks extended financial inclusion to the unbanked. Housing cooperatives provided shelter to urban populations, while consumer cooperatives like Kendriya Bhandar ensured access to essential goods at fair prices.
India’s cooperative movement is not just vast, it is vital. Today, over 800,000 cooperative societies operate across 29 sectors, impacting more than 300 million people. From dairy and sugar to fisheries and handlooms, cooperatives have preserved traditional livelihoods while promoting innovation. They have created jobs, built institutions, and nurtured democratic participation at the grassroots level.
Yet, the movement is not without its challenges. Governance issues, political interference, limited access to capital, and technological lag continue to hinder progress. Many cooperatives struggle with outdated systems and lack of professional management. But change is underway. In 2021, the Government of India established the Ministry of Cooperation, signaling a renewed commitment to revitalizing the sector. With the motto “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation), the ministry aims to streamline governance, promote ease of doing business, and foster multi-state cooperative societies.
A landmark development came this July 2025, when Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for India’s first national cooperative university—Tribhuvan Sahkari University, in Gujarat’s Anand district. Named after the pioneering Tribhuvandas Patel, the university is designed to train over 2 million cooperative personnel in the next five years. It will offer specialized education in cooperative management, finance, law, and rural development, creating a national network to standardize cooperative training and research. This initiative marks a turning point, addressing the long-standing gap in institutional support for cooperative innovation and capacity building.
As India looks to the future, the cooperative movement is being reimagined through a policy lens that centers youth and women. The upcoming National Cooperation Policy 2025 is expected to be a transformative framework, aligning cooperative growth with inclusive development goals. It emphasizes the creation of youth-led cooperatives in emerging sectors such as agri-tech, renewable energy, and digital services. These cooperatives will be supported through incubation centers, digital infrastructure, and access to credit, turning young entrepreneurs into cooperative leaders.
For women, the policy envisions a nationwide expansion of self-help groups into formal cooperatives, especially in sectors like dairy, textiles, food processing, and e-commerce. These women-led cooperatives will be empowered through targeted training, financial literacy programs, and market linkages. The integration of digital tools such as UPI-enabled Kisan Credit Cards and mobile cooperative banking will further enhance accessibility and autonomy.
Education is also a key pillar. Cooperative studies are being introduced in schools, colleges, and management institutions to cultivate a new generation of cooperative thinkers. The Ministry of Cooperation is working with the Ministry of Education to embed cooperative principles into curricula, ensuring that values of equity, participation, and sustainability are taught alongside economics and entrepreneurship.
Globally, cooperatives are proving their worth. Over 12 per cent of the world’s population is involved in one of the 3 million cooperatives worldwide. The top 300 co-ops earned over $2.4 trillion, and cooperatives provide jobs or income to 280 million people, 10% of the global workforce. These numbers are not just statistics; they are stories of resilience, equity, and shared prosperity.
We are reminded that cooperatives are more than economic entities, they are expressions of human solidarity. They are about farmers who built their own markets, women who found their voice, and youth who are shaping the future. In the words of Dr. Kurien, “India’s place in the sun would come when it has risen through the efforts of its own people.” The cooperative movement is that effort, quiet, persistent, and profoundly transformative.
India’s cooperative journey is far from over. It is evolving, expanding, and inspiring. And as the world looks for inclusive and sustainable solutions, India’s cooperatives stand ready, not just as participants, but as pioneers.
