Why India’s First National Cooperative University Matters

BALASUBRAMANIAN IYER Regional Director International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific

The passage of the bill for India’s first national cooperative university, Tribhuvan Sahkari University, in Parliament marks a historic milestone in the journey of the Indian cooperative movement. That this development comes during the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives only adds to its significance. As Union Minister for Cooperation Shri. Amit Shah noted, this university is poised to become a powerful vehicle in realizing the vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi”— “Prosperity Through Cooperation.”

India is home to the largest cooperative movement in the world, comprising over 800,000 cooperatives and 287 million members. Deeply embedded in the daily lives of people—from roti, kapda, to makan (food, clothing, and shelter) — cooperatives are more than just economic institutions; they represent an expression of community-driven development, economic equity, and social justice. The establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation (MoC)  in 2021 signaled a renewed national commitment to this sector, aimed at expanding its reach, improving its efficiency, and integrating it as a cornerstone of inclusive development.

Ministry of Cooperation has taken commendable steps: allocating ?2,516 crore to computerize 67,390 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), introducing model byelaws adopted in 32 states to enable over 25 business activities, creating 2 lakh new multipurpose cooperatives, supporting 1,100 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and transforming 44,000 PACS into Common Service Centers. Tax incentives, easier access to credit, and decentralized storage solutions are enhancing cooperatives’ operational capacities. The establishment of three new national federations for seeds, exports, and organic products further signal that cooperatives are being positioned as key agents of India’s development.

Yet, for all its scale and reach, the cooperative sector's education and training infrastructure remains fragmented, under-developed, and unevenly distributed. The demand for qualified professionals—from managerial and administrative to technical and operational—is far outpacing the available supply. Equally critical is the need to invest in the capacity-building of existing employees and board members, many of whom lack access to regular training or structured learning opportunities. Without standardized curricula, quality assurance, and institutional coherence, the sector cannot fully realize its potential or sustain its growth. There is also a pressing need to attract newer and younger generations to the cooperative movement—individuals who are not only professionally equipped but also inspired by cooperative values and driven to innovate within the sector. This is where Tribhuvan Sahkari University can play a transformative role: by serving as a hub for education, training, and research that builds capacity across all levels while fostering a new generation of cooperative leaders.

Named after Shri. Tribhuvandas Patel, the visionary architect of the AMUL model, and based in Anand, the cradle of India’s dairy cooperative revolution, the university is as much a symbolic tribute as it is a strategic intervention. The choice of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)—an institution that has pioneered cooperative management education for decades—as the foundation for this university is both practical and inspired. With IRMA designated as a Centre of Excellence, the university will build on a strong legacy of producing professionals equipped to address the challenges and opportunities of cooperative enterprises.

The vision of the university will go further, beyond just those seeking formal management degrees. It will extend its reach to board members of primary and secondary cooperatives, employees across functional areas, and the new generation of youth interested in ethical, sustainable, and inclusive business models. The university will support this through flexible learning modules, certification programs, degree offerings, digital access, and field-based research—all rooted in cooperative values of self-help, democratic control, and mutual responsibility.

Importantly, the university can also serve as a national knowledge platform, facilitating dialogue among stakeholders, providing evidence-based policy insights, and supporting innovations tailored to rural realities. With India’s diverse cooperative landscape—spanning dairy, credit, housing, fisheries, textiles, and more—the university has the potential to act as a converging space for multidisciplinary expertise, linking academia, practitioners, and policymakers.

Globally, cooperative education has been foundational to the success of cooperative movements. As far back as the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844, the original rules of conduct included allocating a portion of profits to education. The fifth Cooperative Principle—Education, Training and Information—remains a core pillar of the movement, ensuring that members, leaders, and the broader community understand and uphold the cooperative model. It is this deep-rooted educational tradition that sustains cooperative governance, fosters innovation, and strengthens accountability.

In this context, Tribhuvan Sahkari University can be more than just an academic institution—it can become a national and global knowledge hub for cooperative development, a space where practice meets policy, and learning fuels leadership. At the ICA Global Cooperative Conference held in New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi called on India to lead the Global South in uniting cooperatives to build shared platforms, tackle common challenges, and collectively chart a path forward. The national university offers just such a platform—capable of nurturing dialogue, sharing best practices, and strengthening south-south cooperation among cooperatives.

In a world that is increasingly seeking inclusive, democratic, and sustainable economic models, India’s cooperative movement—and now its first cooperative university—offers not just inspiration but direction. The university must rise to this moment by being accessible, innovative, and impact-driven, fostering leadership at every level of the movement. The foundation has been laid; it is now time to build an institution worthy of the vision it represents—one that will educate, empower, and energize generations to come through the enduring power of cooperation – and ensure cooperatives build a better future for all.

( PIB feature)