The National Cooperation Policy 2025 aims to transform India’s cooperative sector into a professionally managed, youth-driven ecosystem. It proposes an apex national institution to standardise education, promote innovation, and build capacity. The policy also focuses on skilling rural youth, launching cooperative-centric courses, and creating a digital job platform, ensuring inclusive growth and long-term sustainability in the cooperative movement.
The Government of India has unveiled a visionary blueprint to transform the cooperative sector into a professionally managed and economically vibrant ecosystem with the recent announcement of the National Cooperation Policy 2025. Central to this policy are two groundbreaking initiatives: the creation of an apex national-level organisation for cooperative education, training, and innovation, and a comprehensive strategy to engage and shape the young generation for long-term growth in the cooperative movement.
The policy envisions a paradigm shift in how cooperatives operate in India—infusing professionalism, promoting entrepreneurial innovation, and preparing a new generation of leaders rooted in cooperative values.
Professionalising Cooperatives through an Apex Body
To meet the growing demands of the modern economy and to enable cooperatives to function as competent economic entities, the policy proposes the establishment of a national apex organisation. This institution will lead the standardisation and institutionalisation of cooperative education and capacity building, acting as a national umbrella body for cooperative training centres and institutes across India.
The apex organisation will create a pan-India network of cooperative training and education institutes through affiliation, regulating aspects such as course content, admission norms, teacher recruitment, curriculum design, and examinations. This move is aimed at ensuring a consistent and high-quality education system that aligns with the evolving needs of the cooperative sector.
Additionally, the body will work towards developing Centres of Excellence in cooperative education, research, and incubation. These centres will support domain-specific innovation in agriculture, fisheries, agro-processing, and other emerging fields such as renewable energy, rural tourism, and digital services.
In a bid to ensure a steady supply of qualified manpower, the apex organisation will also collaborate with existing skill development institutes and promote cooperative-centric courses in universities and colleges. Specialised training in cooperative laws, accounting, governance, and operations will make youth industry-ready.
The policy also recommends the strategic utilisation of the Cooperative Education Fund (CEF) held by the central and state governments. These funds will be used to create multi-level, language-inclusive academic content, enabling grassroots learning in vernacular languages.
A Structured Pathway for Research, Innovation and Incubation
A key pillar of the policy is the institutionalisation of research and innovation within the cooperative ecosystem. The apex organisation will promote sponsored research, establish practice track Chairs in collaboration with private and cooperative institutions, and initiate social enterprise incubators in new sectors. These incubators will help launch new cooperatives, support rural startups, and promote local resource-based innovation.
A robust institutional mechanism will also facilitate technology incubation, entrepreneurial development, and dissemination of sustainable business models that are tailored for cooperative functioning.
The policy emphasises the inclusion of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and sectoral ratings to track the performance of cooperatives, helping federations identify and amplify areas of strength.
In order to build leadership within cooperatives, societies will be encouraged to amend their bye-laws to include mandatory training and capacity-building programs for board members and staff. Member education based on cooperative principles and values will be implemented across the country in a time-bound and universal manner.
Youth-Led Growth: Shaping the Next Generation of Cooperators
Perhaps the most ambitious and socially impactful element of the National Cooperation Policy 2025 is its focus on the young generation. Labeled as Strategic Mission Pillar VI, this initiative aims to inspire, equip and engage rural and semi-urban youth in cooperative entrepreneurship.
The apex body, along with affiliated institutions, will implement district-level campaigns, workshops, exhibitions, and multimedia outreach showcasing success stories of cooperative societies. Biographies of veteran cooperators and films will be used to instill pride and awareness among youth about the cooperative movement.
A comprehensive experiential learning model will be introduced to promote understanding of rural economies, cooperative principles, and real-world functioning of societies. Education in cooperative governance, finance, auditing, legal compliance, and business management will prepare youth for leadership roles.
To support this effort, the policy recommends the design of cooperative-focused diploma and degree courses, including certified short-term programs and professional training. Through consultations with national and state federations, these courses will align with market needs, ensuring that graduates are employment-ready.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering degrees in social sciences will be encouraged to introduce cooperative diplomas certified by the apex body, making these programs widely accessible.
Skilling for Employment: A Cooperative Jobs Ecosystem
One of the bold steps envisioned by the policy is the creation of a National Digital Cooperative Employment Exchange. This digital platform, managed by the apex body, will match job seekers with employment opportunities in cooperatives, simplifying the hiring process and expanding outreach to underrepresented communities.
A national database of cooperative teachers, trainers, and resource persons will be established, ensuring that sufficient qualified human resources are available. The policy calls for a standardised recruitment process and attractive remuneration structure for teachers and instructors in affiliated institutions.
The government will also develop a national ecosystem for training and skill development, mapping all government-funded and affiliated training centres and partnering with them through MoUs. A special emphasis will be placed on the digital and financial literacy of rural youth and women, empowering them to take up employment in cooperatives.
The policy underscores the need to equip technical and non-technical workers, especially those in remote regions, with market-relevant skills, including refrigeration, aquaculture, farm management, marine engineering, and biosecurity screening.
Research Fellowships and Vernacular Learning Hubs
To promote deeper academic engagement with cooperative models, the policy encourages federations and national societies to fund doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowships. These fellowships, supported in collaboration with reputed institutions, will focus on critical areas like cooperative economics, digital cooperatives, governance reforms, and innovation.
Grassroots-level cooperative learning centres will be established using local languages and cultural mediums to increase understanding and participation in cooperative activities. These centres will act as community hubs for extension services, awareness programs, and leadership training.
A Vision Rooted in Principles, Driven by Innovation
The National Cooperation Policy 2025 envisions an India where cooperative institutions are no longer seen as outdated rural relics, but as future-ready economic platforms capable of driving inclusive growth, sustainability, and grassroots empowerment.
By professionalising cooperatives, empowering youth through education and entrepreneurship, and promoting a culture of research, innovation, and collaboration, the policy charts a bold and future-facing path for the sector.
As India moves toward becoming a $5 trillion economy, this national policy positions the cooperative model as a key pillar of inclusive and self-reliant development, ensuring that growth reaches every corner of the country, from the urban startup to the rural self-help group.