Amit Shah Reviews Progress of Three New National Cooperatives, Sets Ambitious Growth Targets

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to assess the progress of three new national cooperative institutions: National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL). The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, senior ministry officials, and the Managing Directors of the three institutions — Unupom Kausik (NCEL), Vipul Mittal (NCOL), and Chetan Joshi (BBSSL).

Addressing the meeting, Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these three national cooperative institutions were established in 2023 to serve as umbrella organizations for cooperative exports, organic production, and the promotion of quality seeds. Operating under a “Whole of Government” approach, these institutions collaborate with the relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen India’s cooperative sector.

NCEL: Aiming for ₹2 Lakh Crore in Exports

Amit Shah directed NCEL to explore new export opportunities, including sugar from cooperative mills, aromatic rice from Tripura, organic cotton, and coarse grains. He also encouraged partnerships with large companies to export fresh vegetables to Gulf nations and speciality potato varieties.

Setting an ambitious export target of ₹2 lakh crore, Shah called for routing all cooperative exports through NCEL to ensure profits flow back to cooperatives. He proposed opening NCEL offices in Africa and Myanmar for pulses imports and launching a dedicated website to connect cooperative members with global demand.

In its first year, NCEL has enrolled over 10,000 cooperative members, achieved a turnover of ₹4,283 crore, and posted a net profit of ₹122 crore. The institution exports to 28 countries, focusing on rice, marine products, cereals, wheat, fruits, vegetables, animal products, spices, and plantation products. It has also signed strategic agreements (MoUs) with 61 importers from Senegal, Indonesia, and Nepal.

NCOL: Scaling Up ‘Bharat Organics’

NCOL, which promotes organic production under the ‘Bharat Organics’ brand, has been supplying products to major brands like Amul and Bigbasket.

Amit Shah said that NCOL products will soon be available in Reliance stores nationwide. Currently, 22 products under the ‘Bharat Organics’ brand are available in Delhi-NCR, with plans to expand to major metros. The product range includes cereals, pulses, spices, and sweets.

Shah appreciated NCOL’s efforts and set a turnover target of more than ₹300 crore for the financial year 2025-26. He also directed the formation of certified organic farmer groups at the state level and their integration at a higher level.

In its initial year (2025-26), NCOL has enrolled over 7,000 cooperatives, transacted more than 1,200 metric tonnes of produce procured from over 2,000 farmers, and recorded a turnover of ₹10.26 crore.

BBSSL: Strengthening India’s Seed Ecosystem

Amit Shah highlighted BBSSL’s vital role in strengthening India’s seed ecosystem, particularly through its new state-of-the-art centre in Kalol, Gujarat. The centre will focus on developing high-yielding, low-maturity, and water-efficient crop varieties, including tur, urad, and maize. Shah also called for establishing a tissue culture facility to ensure the availability of high-genetic-potential plants for the top banana-producing states.

He urged BBSSL to develop high-sugar, low-water sugarcane varieties and to promote seed production of fodder crops for the NDDB and Amul network. Additionally, Shah emphasized the need for seed production of processing varieties such as potatoes used for French fries.

To ensure the timely availability of breeder seeds, Shah directed the Ministry of Cooperation to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture. He appreciated BBSSL’s efforts and reiterated the Government’s commitment to empower agricultural cooperatives through innovation, quality inputs, and institutional support.