First-Ever Nationwide Cooperative Survey to Begin April: NSO Trains 225 Officers for Massive Data Exercise

The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to professionalism, accuracy, and data integrity, reinforcing India’s efforts to build a modern, credible, and globally aligned statistical system.

In a major step towards strengthening India’s data-driven policymaking, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has conducted a nationwide training workshop ahead of launching the country’s first comprehensive survey on the cooperative sector.

The All-India Workshop of Trainers (AIWOT) for the Rapid Survey of Functional Cooperatives (RSFC) was held on March 25, 2026, bringing together 225 officials from across India to prepare for the six-month survey beginning April 2026.

First Pan-India Survey to Map Cooperative Economy

The RSFC marks a landmark initiative as the first-ever nationwide survey aimed at quantifying the economic contribution of India’s cooperative sector.

• Will generate data on Gross Value Added (GVA), Gross Value Output (GVO), and employment

• Covers 30 major cooperative sectors

• Uses the National Cooperative Database (NCD) as the sampling frame

• Employs a web-based data collection system for real-time and standardised reporting

The survey is expected to fill critical data gaps and support evidence-based policymaking in the cooperative ecosystem.

Key Sectors Under the Survey

Separate national estimates will be generated for 12 key cooperative sectors, including:

• Dairy and fishery cooperatives

• Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)

• Housing and consumer cooperatives

• Sugar mills and agro-processing units

• Handloom and labour cooperatives

• Large Area Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS)

• Credit and thrift institutions

These sectors collectively play a crucial role in rural livelihoods, financial inclusion, and grassroots economic activity.

225 Trainers Equipped for Nationwide Rollout

The AIWOT serves as a critical preparatory step before field operations:

• Participants included officers from Field Operations Division (FOD), Enterprise Survey Division (EnSD), and Coordination & Quality Control Division (CQCD)

• Representatives from the Ministry of Cooperation also participated

• Master trainers will now conduct regional-level training across states and UTs

This cascading training model ensures uniform understanding and data quality across the country.

Focus on Data Quality and Standardisation

Inaugurating the workshop, Smt. Geeta Singh Rathore, DG (NSS), highlighted the importance of:

• High-quality data collection practices

• Strong field supervision and coordination

• Maintaining reliability, transparency, and standardisation

She noted that the cooperative sector is a backbone of inclusive growth, and accurate data is essential for unlocking its full potential.

Supporting ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ Vision

Officials emphasised that robust data on cooperatives will play a key role in achieving the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision by:

• Strengthening rural economies

• Enhancing employment generation insights

• Improving policy targeting and resource allocation

Structured feedback from field teams will also be incorporated to continuously improve survey processes.

Strong Centre-State Coordination Ensured

The Ministry of Cooperation has assured full support from:

• State authorities

• District-level Registrars of Cooperative Societies

This coordination will be crucial for smooth field operations and data validation.

Towards a Stronger Statistical System

The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to professionalism, accuracy, and data integrity, reinforcing India’s efforts to build a modern, credible, and globally aligned statistical system.

With the RSFC rollout, India is set to gain its most detailed insights yet into the cooperative sector—an area central to inclusive growth and grassroots development.