Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired a series of review meetings on June 18, 2026, in New Delhi to assess national-level cooperative initiatives focused on strengthening the cooperative banking ecosystem, promoting organic products through cooperatives, and expanding the 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 the proposed 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).
During the cooperative banking review, emphasis was placed on technology adoption, improved governance, cyber security, digital payments, common service platforms, and enhanced service delivery. Significant progress was noted in the integration of MuleHunter.AI with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to strengthen fraud risk management and cyber security capabilities within cooperative banks. NUCFDC is actively working to bring all Urban Cooperative Banks on a common platform to facilitate access to shared services, technology solutions, and institutional support. SSPL has rolled out AePS services and live e-KYC in select cooperative banks, with expansion underway in some states targeting coverage of 100 cooperative banks by August 2026, which has significantly reduced digital banking service costs.
Shri Amit Shah directed that all Rural Cooperative Banks should become members of Sahakar Sarathi Private Limited and all Urban Cooperative Banks should join NUCFDC, emphasizing the important role of COBI, SSPL, and NUCFDC in strengthening the cooperative banking sector. He stressed the need for robust cyber security frameworks, modern banking technology, and sustainable business models.
For the organic and export initiatives, NCOL was directed to scale up procurement operations to source organic produce from more farmers across India, identifying and mapping organic producers and products while supporting farmers through testing, certification, quality assurance, capacity building, and compliance with organic standards. NCOL should also provide strong market linkages to ensure farmers access remunerative markets, thereby strengthening the organic ecosystem and enhancing farmers' incomes.
NCEL was tasked with expanding market linkages in international markets for cooperative products, enhancing business engagement with member cooperatives, and working closely with various Government of India ministries through a whole-of-government approach. The organization should actively identify and develop export opportunities for niche and value-added products to improve global presence.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the cooperative sector in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi', focusing on innovation, financial inclusion, digital transformation, sustainable agriculture, better market access for farmers, and global competitiveness of cooperative products.