A two day national level workshop and review meeting on strengthening the cooperative sector concluded in Udaipur, Rajasthan, with extensive deliberations on accelerating reforms under the Sahkar se Samriddhi vision. Held on January 8 and 9, 2026, the workshop focused on reinforcing cooperatives as engines of inclusive growth, rural prosperity and grassroots economic empowerment through coordinated action by the Centre and States.
Organised by the Ministry of Cooperation, the workshop brought together senior officials from States and Union Territories, including Secretaries and Registrars of Cooperative Societies, along with key stakeholders from across the cooperative ecosystem. The event was inaugurated by the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, with the Rajasthan government welcoming delegates and reaffirming its commitment to cooperative development.
The deliberations emphasised strengthening coordination between the Centre and States, sharing best practices and encouraging innovation to revitalise cooperatives. Participants underlined the need to bring cooperatives into the economic mainstream by addressing long standing challenges such as dual regulation of cooperative banks, governance reforms, transparent board elections and capacity building. Successful cooperative models were highlighted to demonstrate the sector’s potential to transform rural economies through integrated value chains and community ownership.
A comprehensive review was undertaken of flagship initiatives, including computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, Agricultural and Rural Development Banks and Registrar offices. Progress on schemes such as multipurpose PACS, dairy and fishery cooperatives, the national grain storage programme, and expansion of additional services through PACS was assessed. Digital initiatives such as national cooperative export, organic and seed platforms, along with cooperative banking reforms and promotion of White Revolution 2.0, were also reviewed.
Special focus was placed on strengthening the National Cooperative Database and advancing reforms in multi state cooperative societies. States shared experiences on digital integration, governance improvements, onboarding cooperatives on e commerce and government procurement platforms, expediting liquidation of non functional societies and improving data quality for economic assessment.
The second day featured a dedicated session on empowering PACS, highlighting their role as the backbone of the cooperative system. States presented best practices on cashless PACS, management information systems, cooperative startups, district specific business plans, model cooperative villages, membership drives and modern storage and supply chain integration. Cooperative development in the North Eastern Region and technology driven success stories in fisheries and dairy sectors were also discussed.
Concluding the workshop, the Ministry of Cooperation reiterated the priority of complete computerisation of PACS to deepen rural financial inclusion and enhance transparency. Targets for rapid expansion of grain storage infrastructure were reviewed, and States were urged to sustain momentum through coordinated, time bound implementation. The workshop marked a significant step towards building future ready, inclusive and resilient cooperatives aligned with the national vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi.
