In conversation with Bhima Subrahmanyam, Managing Director and CEO of the National Federation of State Cooperative Banks (NAFSCOB) and President of the International Cooperative Banking Association (ICBA).
The ‘Report on Trends and Progress of Banking in India, 2024-25’ has been published by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently. Happily, the Report has devoted a full chapter on various aspects of the Cooperative Banks that includes the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and the Rural Credit Cooperatives (RCCs).
The country has adopted the strategy of financial inclusion through banking system, practically excluding the cooperative banks. There is no doubt that our financial inclusion reform has been transformational. However, even now till (December 2025), all the households located in states of Karnataka, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha as also North Eastern States (Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland) and Jammu & Kashmir (UT) have not been covered with even opening of bank accounts
The two-day National Level Workshop and Review Meeting on Strengthening the Cooperative Sector, convened in Udaipur, Rajasthan, on 8 and 9 January 2026, marked a pivotal milestone in India’s cooperative reform process. Organised by the Ministry of Cooperation, the meeting functioned as a structured review of implementation progress across states and union territories within the Sahkar se Samriddhi framework, moving beyond a routine consultative exercise.
On 6 January 2026, a National CSR Conclave on Nutrition Security and Malnutrition Mitigation was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, bringing together government representatives, CSR partners, cooperative leaders, and sector stakeholders. Organised by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Foundation for Nutrition, the conclave spotlighted how nutrition outcomes can be advanced through coordinated institutional action and strategic CSR engagement.
Cooperative institutions are more than just organizations—they are communities built on trust, equality, and shared growth. Choosing a career in this sector means choosing to work for people, with people. A cooperative is a group of people who come together to meet common needs—whether in farming, banking, housing, or services. Unlike private companies that focus only on profit, cooperatives focus on people. Every member has a voice, and decisions are made together.
Cooperatives have historically played a transformative role in India’s economic and social development, particularly in agriculture, dairy, credit, housing, fisheries and rural industries. In the era of rapid technological change and expanding expectations of transparency, speed and accountability, the question before policymakers and cooperative leaders is no longer whether digitalisation is useful, but whether cooperatives can survive and grow without it. The answer is clear: digital empowerment is now indispensable.
The implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection framework, underpinned by the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and operationalized through the DPDP Rules, 2025, marks a pivotal shift in how institutions handle personal information.
