Interviews

The Budget envisages promoting entrepreneurship, value addition, and collective resource management. It also empowers cooperatives to professionalize operations, expand markets, and increase farmer incomes. A framework has been suggested for resilient, integrated cooperative networks rather than fragmented entities.

Yes—Union Budget 2026–27 marks a decisive shift from symbolic support to structural empowerment of cooperatives.
For the first time, the Union Budget is not just allocating funds to cooperatives; it is redesigning incentives, taxation, and institutions in a way that aligns with the National Cooperation Policy 2025, which calls cooperatives the second engine of India’s growth.
The most important signal is this:
The Budget rewards cooperatives when value flows to members.

For the first time in independent India, something fundamentally important has changed. Cooperatives are no longer invisible.
The creation of the Ministry of Cooperation, the rollout of the National Cooperation Policy 2025, the revival of PACS, their computerisation, the formation of NCEL, NCOL, BBSSL, Bhart Taxi and focused schemes like Ayushman Sahakar, Sehkar Sarthi have sent a strong and unambiguous signal

In a short span since its inception, the National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) has emerged as a transformative force in India’s agricultural export landscape. Anchored in the cooperative spirit and driven by the vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi,” NCEL is enabling farmers, producer organisations, and cooperative institutions to access international markets, enhance incomes, and contribute meaningfully to India’s rural-led economic growth.

Unati is a success story in cooperatives. Jyoti Saroop, Founder & Director, Unati Cooperative, in a candid conversation with Sanjay Verma, Editor, Coop Talks, shares his experiences and valuable insights based on his long journey. He says that for youth seeking a career, cooperatives offer a unique opportunity to blend entrepreneurship, innovation, and social purpose.

The year 2025 marks a new phase in India’s economic and tax reforms, with the Government introducing significant changes to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework. While the reforms are expected to streamline compliance, boost transparency, and expand the tax base, their implications for the cooperative sector remain a subject of deep discussion. Cooperatives, being unique member-driven institutions that straddle both social and business objectives, are positioned at a critical juncture. The question that arises is—to what extent will the new GST reforms impact cooperatives?