India Launches Global Cooperative Initiative: A New Dawn for Sustainable Development

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the UN's International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and a commemorative postal stamp, emphasizing cooperatives' role in sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The initiative showcases India's renewed focus on cooperative models for economic growth and social inclusion, marking significant strides in the sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, unveiled the United Nations' International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and introduced a commemorative postal stamp at the Global Cooperative Conference 2024, hosted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This event signifies a pivotal moment in reinforcing the role of cooperatives in global sustainable development efforts.

The theme for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, "Cooperatives Build a Better World," aims to spotlight the transformative potential of cooperative enterprises in fostering social inclusion, economic empowerment, and sustainable growth. Cooperatives are recognized as key drivers of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on reducing inequality, promoting decent work, and alleviating poverty.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah underscored the timeliness of the United Nations' decision to observe 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, citing its benefits for impoverished populations and farmers globally. Shah highlighted the progress in India's cooperative sector, including plans for two lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and the establishment of three national cooperative bodies aimed at expanding market access for farmers.

(With inputs from agencies.)