Published: 18 January 2026Economy
India Emerges as Global Cooperative Powerhouse: 8.5 Lakh Cooperatives, 27% of World Total
India has emerged as a global cooperative powerhouse with 8.5 lakh registered cooperatives — approximately 27% of the world's cooperatives — covering 32 crore members across ~98% of rural India. Of these, 6.6 lakh are fully operational across 30 sectors, including 80,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and 1,457 urban cooperative banks managing ₹7.38 trillion in assets.
Key initiatives include the ₹2,925 crore PACS computerization project and White Revolution 2.0 targeting a 50% increase in milk procurement. Ten crore women have been integrated through SHG linkage. National Cooperative Exports Limited exported 13.77 lakh MT of commodities worth ₹5,556.24 crore to 28 countries. Rajasthan's cooperative dairy sector, anchored by RCDF (Saras), is a significant player in the national dairy network.
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6-axis classification
CoverageNationalSubjectEconomicExamBasic Computer Instructor · CET Graduation · CET Senior Secondary · EO/RO · LDC · Mahila Supervisor · Patwar · PTI · RAS · REET · RPSC SI · School Lecturer · Senior Computer Instructor · Senior Teacher · UPSC · Vanpal · Both
Practice MCQ from this story
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Linked questionMedium
India has approximately how many registered cooperatives, making it the world's largest cooperative movement?
Explanation · Correct answer CIndia has 8.5 lakh registered cooperatives — approximately 27% of the world's cooperatives — covering 32 crore members across ~98% of rural India. Of these, 6.6 lakh are fully operational across 30 sectors.
Frequently asked questions
How many cooperatives does India have and what share of world cooperatives does this represent?
India has **8.5 lakh registered cooperatives** — approximately **27% of the world's cooperatives** — covering 32 crore members across ~98% of rural India.
How many cooperatives in India are fully operational?
Out of 8.5 lakh cooperatives, **6.6 lakh are fully operational** across 30 sectors including 80,000 PACS and 1,457 urban cooperative banks managing ₹7.38 trillion in assets.
What are PACS and why are they significant?
**PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies)** — with 80,000 societies — are the grassroots institutions providing agricultural credit and financial services to rural farmers across India.
What is the Ministry of Cooperation?
The **Ministry of Cooperation** was established in 2021 to strengthen India's cooperative sector through reforms including computerisation of PACS and multi-service expansion.
What assets do India's urban cooperative banks manage?
India's **1,457 urban cooperative banks** manage approximately **₹7.38 trillion** in assets.
