Permanent Mission of India
New York

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Special Commemorative Event
Cooperatives and Sustainable Development: Maintaining momentum and exploring new avenues

Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, Permanent Representative
28 July 2025

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honor and a profound privilege to address this distinguished gathering today, as we commemorate the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 to reaffirm that the cooperative model is not merely a form of enterprise, but a vision for a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable world.

At the outset, I am deeply grateful to Hon’ble Minister of Cooperation of the Government of India, His Excellency Mr. Amit Shah, for his valuable message, inspiration and support.

We are pleased to co-organise this special commemorative event together with Mongolia and Kenya, the sponsors of the UNGA resolution 78/289 through which the General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. I warmly thank dear friends, the PRs of Mongolia and Kenya, for their support and readiness to be partners for the event.

I would also like to thank Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Special Representative to the United Nations and Director, ILO Office for the United Nations for joining us and look forward to her remarks and insights on the important role of cooperatives in achieving SDG goals.

Mr. Deepak Agarwal, Managing Director, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) has travelled from India to be with us today and to share an Indian cooperative story highlighting the spirit of collaboration and shared ownership. Thank you for joining us, Deepak.

Friends,

The proclamation of the International Year of Cooperatives invites us to amplify the cooperative model’s proven role in driving inclusive, democratic and human-centric development across the globe.

The values and principles of cooperative enterprises make them directly relevant to sustainable development. Cooperatives are sustainable and successful business enterprises that contribute directly to inter alia employment generation, poverty and hunger eradication, education, social protection, affordable housing and financial inclusion.

As noted in the UN Secretary General’s latest report on cooperatives, globally, there are about 3 million cooperatives, providing employment to 10 per cent of workers worldwide and the 300 largest cooperatives in the world generate over US$ 2.1 trillion in revenue.

Friends,

The spirit of cooperation runs deep in India’s civilizational ethos. Ancient Sanskrit texts speak of sahakāra (cooperation), sahayoga (mutual support), and samūhikakalyāṇa (collective welfare). Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas of Sarvodaya - welfare of all - and Swavalamban - self-reliance - shaped a model of social and economic development built on dignity, decentralisation, and shared responsibility. Gandhiji’s vision of Gram Swaraj, or village self-rule, placed economic power directly in the hands of the people. India’s cooperative movement stands firmly on this moral foundation.

The cooperative sector in India dates back to 1904 prior to our Independence, with the enacting of a Cooperative Credit Societies Act. After Independence, the cooperative sector retained a prominent place in the Five-Year Plans. The milk cooperatives under the leadership of Verghese Kurien changed India’s milk landscape from a highly deficit country to the world’s largest producer of milk with 239 million tonnes, in 2023-24. Through the 97th constitutional amendment, the right to form cooperative societies was included as the Right to Freedom under Article 19 (1), of the Constitution. In addition to this, Article 43-B (Promotion of Cooperative Societies) was also inserted as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy under the Constitution of India serving as a guideline for governance.

Today, India has over 800,000 cooperative societies, with approximately 300 million people being associated with the cooperative sector. They have played a significant role in sectors such as sugar, fertilizers, fisheries, and milk production. India has also seen significant growth in urban cooperative banking and housing cooperatives. Cooperative banks across the country today hold deposits worth 12 lakh crore rupees (over USD 139 billion).

Friends,

India envisions a significant role for cooperatives in its future growth. In recent years, the Government of India has worked to transform the entire cooperative ecosystem, undertaking numerous reforms. A separate Ministry of Cooperation was established in July 2021 to unlock the full potential of this sector.

Driven by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi” – Prosperity through Cooperation – the Ministry coordinates reforms, promotes cooperative-based economic development model and creates appropriate policy, legal and institutional framework to help cooperatives realize their potential.

India has last week adopted a new National Cooperative Policy with a 20 year timeframe 2025–2045, aimed at reviving and modernizing the cooperative sector. The policy focuses on simpler regulation, stronger governance, new sector expansion, use of emerging and advanced technologies and better access to finance.

Friends,

Women-led development is a cornerstone of our national growth. India’s cooperatives are powerful engines of women and youth empowerment. Women play a significant role, constituting more than 60% of the sector. Numerous women-led cooperatives have become a source of strength in this sector. Young entrepreneurs are creating cooperatives in renewable energy, logistics, and digital services.

Self-Help Groups, many of which evolve into cooperatives, are a foundation of rural development and financial inclusion. Today, over 100 million women in India are members of self-help groups. These SHGs have received loans worth 9 lakh crore rupees (over USD 104 billion) at low interest rates from the government, enabling them to generate substantial wealth in villages.

To support this momentum, we are investing in cooperative education and capacity building. Earlier this month, India has established its first national level cooperative university - “Tribhuvan” Cooperative University at Anand in Gujarat. This university will prove to be an important step towards empowering cooperative institutions at the grassroots level by promoting innovation, capacity building and best practices, improve governance and accelerate inclusive and sustainable rural economic development.

Friends,

Technology is reshaping the way cooperatives serve their members and connect with the market. India is digitising over 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) through a unified software platform to improve transparency, efficiency, and service delivery. We have integrated cooperative societies with an IT-enabled ecosystem and connected them with district and state-level cooperative banking institutions.

We are leveraging modern technology, including AI, to establish a strong supply and value chain for our farm cooperatives, connecting farms to kitchens and markets. Through platforms like the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), we are offering cooperatives a new medium to sell their products. This platform enables cooperatives to deliver products directly to consumers at minimal costs. The digital Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform is also proving highly beneficial for cooperative societies.

An example, as noted in the UNSG’s latest report on cooperatives, is a deep-tech decision intelligence company of India, Sat Sure Sage, that has developed applications that assist lending institutions in making decisions about agricultural loans based on information about smallholder farmers. The company uses artificial intelligence in combination with satellite data and location intelligence to quickly find all necessary information, allowing lenders to scale up and cater to many more farmers while reducing their operational costs per farmer.

Friends,

Globally, cooperatives support the livelihoods of over one billion people and contribute actively in every major sector, from agriculture and finance to housing, health, and renewable energy, thereby directly supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Yet, many cooperatives across the world face common bottlenecks - limited capital, outdated laws, low visibility, and weak institutional support. There is a need for better data, stronger legal frameworks, improved digital access, and more professional training. Global partnerships can help close these gaps. Sharing knowledge, building cooperative-to-cooperative linkages, and investing in innovation are essential to taking this movement forward.

The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) has been a driving force behind the global cooperative movement, uniting institutions across sectors and regions. India is proud to be a long-standing partner. In 2024, we hosted the ICA Global Cooperative Conference in New Delhi, launching the UN’s International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and adopting the New Delhi Action Agenda. India stands ready to implement this agenda at home - and to work with the global community to advance it worldwide.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has also played a vital role in supporting cooperatives. In particular, its Recommendation No. 193 on the Promotion of Cooperatives provides a strong normative foundation for governments to enable cooperative growth, while recent efforts by the ILO COOP unit have focused on youth entrepreneurship, just transitions, and informal sector integration through cooperative models. India has been an active member of ILO and supports its continued leadership in promoting decent work and employment globally.

Friends,

Let me conclude by underlining that cooperatives are more than economic entities, they are helping millions rise out of poverty, access markets, and take control of their economic resources. Globally, they are showing how business can be fair, democratic, and inclusive.

As we celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives, let us work to move forward in solidarity and purpose, ensuring that cooperatives truly build a better world for all. India remains committed to provide its support to further strengthen the cooperative movement globally.

Thank you.