Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired review meetings in New Delhi on June 18, 2026, focusing on national-level cooperative initiatives to strengthen the cooperative banking ecosystem and promote organic products through cooperatives while expanding global reach of cooperative exports. The meetings were attended by Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Secretary of Ministry of Cooperation Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Chairman of NABARD Shri Shaji K.V., and representatives from key cooperative institutions including Cooperative Bank of India (COBI), Sahakar Sarathi Private Limited (SSPL), National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), and National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL).
Cooperative Banking Initiatives
The review focused on strengthening cooperative banking through technology adoption, improved governance, cybersecurity, digital payments, common service platforms, and enhanced service delivery. Significant emphasis was placed on wider adoption of indigenous technology solutions and digital infrastructure across both urban and rural cooperative banks. The integration of MuleHunter.AI with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is underway to strengthen fraud risk management and cybersecurity capabilities within cooperative banks, enhancing preparedness against emerging digital threats.
NUCFDC, the Umbrella Organisation for Urban Cooperative Banks, is working to bring all Urban Cooperative Banks onto a common platform and expand its membership base to cover the entire UCB sector, facilitating greater access to shared services, technology solutions, and institutional support. SSPL has rolled out AePS services with e-KYC already live in select cooperative banks, and expansion is underway in some states with a target to cover 100 cooperative banks by August 2026. This initiative has significantly reduced the cost of digital banking services for cooperative banks.
Shri Amit Shah emphasized that all Rural Cooperative Banks should become members of Sahakar Sarathi Private Limited and all Urban Cooperative Banks should become members of NUCFDC, availing services from these institutions. He highlighted the important role of COBI, SSPL, and NUCFDC in strengthening the cooperative banking sector in the coming years.
Organic and Export Initiatives
For National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), the review focused on scaling up procurement operations to source organic produce from a larger number of organic farmers across the country. NCOL will identify and map organic producers and products while supporting farmers throughout the organic value chain by facilitating testing, certification, quality assurance, capacity building, and compliance with organic standards. The organization will provide strong market linkages for organic produce to ensure farmers access remunerative markets, thereby strengthening the organic ecosystem, enhancing farmers' incomes, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
For National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), the review centered on expanding market linkages in international markets for cooperative products with strong global competitiveness. NCEL will enhance business engagement with member cooperatives, strengthen the national cooperative export ecosystem, and work closely with various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India to promote cooperative exports. The organization will actively identify and develop export opportunities for niche and value-added products, enabling cooperatives to access new markets and improve their global presence.
The Ministry of Cooperation reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the cooperative sector in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi', with focus on innovation, financial inclusion, digital transformation, sustainable agriculture, better market access for farmers, and global competitiveness of cooperative products.