India's Ambitious Cooperative Expansion: Over 37,000 New Societies Established in Three Years

In a significant push to boost the cooperative sector, India has registered over 37,000 new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS), dairy, and fisheries cooperatives within three years of its five-year plan. The initiative aims to cover all panchayats and villages by leveraging existing government schemes.

In an ambitious move to bolster the cooperative sector, India has made remarkable progress within three years of its five-year initiative. The Ministry of Cooperation reports that over 37,454 new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS), dairy, and fishery cooperative societies have been registered up until June 4, 2026. The initiative aims to transform the grassroots economic framework by establishing two lakh new cooperative societies across all panchayats and villages.

The plan leverages various central government schemes, including the Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), and PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), and is supported by pivotal organizations like the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). According to officials, the initiative, which was approved shortly after the constitution of the Ministry of Cooperation, shows promising signs of achieving its lofty targets well within its five-year timeline.

With a mandate to strengthen the cooperative movement and deepen its reach across rural regions, the Ministry of Cooperation is placing significant emphasis on diversifying the economic activities of PACS. Officials have prepared model byelaws that enable these societies to engage in over 25 activities, such as dairy, fishery, setting up godowns, and more. This strategic expansion endeavors to transform PACS into multipurpose entities and serve as robust economic pillars at the village level.