New Delhi – July 24, 2025: In a landmark move to redefine India’s cooperative landscape, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the National Cooperative Policy 2025 on July 24 at the Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan in New Delhi. The national cooperative policy 2025 is set to be the cornerstone of rural economic transformation over the next two decades, aiming to expand cooperative coverage to every Indian village and enhance transparency, digitalization, and sectoral integration.
This newly unveiled roadmap replaces the outdated 2002 cooperative policy and aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision. It marks a historic shift from fragmented cooperative governance to a structured, data driven, and modern cooperative ecosystem.
What is the National Cooperative Policy 2025?
The national cooperative policy 2025 is a 20 year comprehensive framework designed to revamp India’s cooperative sector between 2025 and 2045. It emphasizes the inclusion of every village into the cooperative network, institutional reform, employment generation, cooperative digitization, and active state participation.
Crafted after extensive consultation, the policy is the result of 17 committee meetings and 4 regional workshops involving over 600 stakeholders. A 48 member committee led by former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu oversaw the drafting process.
Key Highlights of the National Cooperative Policy 2025
Village Level Inclusion
The government aims to establish at least one cooperative in every Indian village within the next five years. This ambitious goal seeks to integrate India’s 6.5 lakh villages into the cooperative mainstream.
2 Lakh New PACS
The policy targets the creation of 2 lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) by February 2026, significantly boosting the reach of rural credit.
State Policy Mandate
States have been directed to align their cooperative policies with the central vision. All state governments must formulate their versions of the national cooperative policy 2025 by January 31, 2026.
Apex Institutions and Reforms
The policy proposes the creation of five apex cooperative institutions:
- National Cooperative Recruitment Board
- National Cooperative Audit & Accounting Board
- National Cooperative Tribunal
- Development Financial Institution for Cooperatives
- Centre of Excellence for Cooperatives
These institutions will professionalize cooperative recruitment, auditing, legal dispute resolution, and credit support.
Digitization and Transparency
A core component of the national cooperative policy 2025 is digital transformation. The government plans to computerize over 65,000 PACS and state registrar offices. A National Cooperative Database is being created to track and manage over 8.5 lakh cooperative societies.
This digitization drive ensures transparency, real time governance, and better credit and subsidy monitoring across all states.
Multi-Sectoral Integration
The policy promotes the integration of cooperatives into dairy, natural farming, organic products, fisheries, exports, and seed production. Multi-state cooperative federations will be set up for each sector.
An innovative “circular economy” model in dairy has also been introduced, encouraging cooperatives to extract value from animal by products like horns, skin, and bones.
Skill Development Through TSU
The launch of Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU) at Anand, Gujarat, is another major pillar. TSU will train cooperative workers and leaders across India. Institutes like Pune’s VAMNICOM have already been affiliated.
The university will run diploma and certification programs, ensuring skilled human capital for India’s fast-growing cooperative economy.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
The policy adopts the Gujarat model of “cooperation among cooperatives”, promoting collaboration between cooperative banks, dairy units, farming societies, and self help groups. This integration aims to maximize resource utilization and foster unity in the sector.
A Visionary Shift in Indian Rural Economy
Speaking at the launch, Amit Shah emphasized that the national cooperative policy 2025 will play a pivotal role in reducing corruption, nepotism, and inefficiencies. He highlighted that cooperatives are key to India’s economic democracy, ensuring grassroots participation and ownership.
“From credit to marketing, from farming to processing, cooperatives must become self-sufficient engines of rural growth,” said Shah.
Mixed Reactions & Road Ahead
While cooperative federations and rural stakeholders welcomed the policy, experts urged caution regarding its implementation, especially in states with weak cooperative infrastructure. The government’s success will depend on how quickly it can roll out digitization, institutional reforms, and PACS expansion.
With the clock ticking toward the 2026 deadline for PACS creation and state policy alignment, all eyes are now on the national cooperative policy 2025 and its execution.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the National Cooperative Policy 2025?
Answer: The National Cooperative Policy 2025 is a 20 year roadmap launched by the Indian government to modernize and expand the cooperative sector. It focuses on increasing village level cooperative presence, setting up 2 lakh new PACS, digitizing cooperatives, and establishing new governance institutions.
2. What are the key goals of the policy?
Answer:Establish at least one cooperative in every villageCreate 2 lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) by 2026Digitize cooperative databases and registrar officesLaunch Tribhuvan Sahkari University for cooperative educationSet up national bodies for recruitment, audit, finance, and dispute resolution
3. How will the policy benefit rural India?
Answer: The National Cooperative Policy 2025 will improve access to credit, boost local employment, modernize farming and dairy practices, and ensure fair pricing and processing for rural producers through cooperative-driven economic systems.
4. What is the role of states in implementing this policy?
Answer: All Indian states must draft or revise their cooperative policies by January 31, 2026 to align with the national framework. They are also expected to support PACS expansion, digital infrastructure, and training institutes under the new model.
5. What sectors will the cooperatives cover under this policy?
Answer: The policy extends cooperatives beyond agriculture to include dairy, fisheries, natural farming, seed production, organic farming, exports, and rural processing industries, promoting sectoral integration and “cooperation among cooperatives.”
