New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) India has one of the largest cooperative ecosystems in the world, spanning nearly every sector of the economy and in five years, the Ministry of Cooperation has transformed cooperatives into engines of inclusive growth, an official factsheet said on Monday.

Stronger institutions, improved service delivery, and broader digital adoption have enhanced grassroots’ impact. Expanded infrastructure and better market access have strengthened rural economies. Women and farmers now have greater opportunities through cooperative-led development.

The 5th Foundation Day of the Ministry of Cooperation was celebrated on July 6, which included the key highlight of the transformation of 50,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into e-PACS.

The programme also witnessed the laying of foundation stones for 47 grain storage godowns to enhance cooperative storage infrastructure.

A Milk Supply Review Dashboard Portal for the National Dairy Development Board was launched to improve management of milk procurement and distribution.

Additionally, two flagship initiatives of the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) were unveiled – Sahakar CBS and Sahakar Sahyogi.

Sahakar CBS is a centralized Core Banking Solution for Urban Cooperative Banks. Sahakar Sahyogi is a conversational AI-powered platform designed to enhance customer services and banking operations.

According to the factsheet, technology has become central to strengthening cooperative governance and efficiency.

Towards the digitalisation of PACS, total financial outlay has been increased to Rs 2,925.39 crore in 2025 from the initial allocation of Rs 2,516 crore in 2022.

The cooperative dairy sector is being strengthened under the ‘White Revolution 2.0’ with a focus on increasing milk procurement by 50 per cent by 2028-29. About 25,282 dairy cooperative societies have been registered so far, according to the factsheet.

The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has played a major role in financing the growth of cooperatives.

During FY2025-26, NCDC has sanctioned Rs 1.55 lakh crore and disbursed Rs 1.27 lakh crore. It has also disbursed Rs 2,320 crore to FPOs/Cluster-Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) under the scheme for formation and promotion of 10,000 FPOs (as of May 2026).

Bharat Taxi is an initiative of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited. At present, Bharat Taxi has 6.37 lakh registered drivers and 35.77 lakh registered customers.

The service is operational in Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Kanpur. Operations are planned to be launched in Ranchi, Patna, Guwahati, Bhopal, Kolkata, Indore, and Nagpur in the next few months.

“As India advances on its path of inclusive and sustainable development, cooperatives will continue to foster equitable growth and resilience,” said the official statement.

–IANS

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