Cooperative Banks Must Adopt Digital Platforms: HM Amit Shah
Home Minister reviews roadmap for cooperative banking, organic farming and export expansion
- Amit Shah reviewed national initiatives to modernise cooperative banks and expand cooperative exports.
- He directed rural and urban cooperative banks to integrate with Sahkar Sarathi and NUCFDC.
- MuleHunter.AI integration with I4C will enhance cyber security and fraud risk management.
- NCOL and NCEL will strengthen organic procurement, market access and global reach of cooperative products.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th June: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a series of review meetings on Thursday to assess the national roadmap for strengthening cooperative banking, promoting organic products and expanding the global reach of cooperative exports.
The meetings were attended by Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation Ashish Kumar Bhutani, NABARD Chairman Shaji K.V., senior officials and representatives of key cooperative institutions.
Reviewing the cooperative banking ecosystem, Shah emphasised the need for rapid adoption of shared digital platforms, common services, advanced technology and strong cyber security mechanisms. He directed all rural cooperative banks to become members of Sahkar Sarathi and urban cooperative banks to join the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) to access technology-driven banking solutions.
The Home Minister reviewed the progress of Sahkar Sarathi’s initiatives, including Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) services and e-KYC facilities, which are already operational in select cooperative banks. The initiative aims to cover 100 cooperative banks by August 2026, reducing the cost of digital banking services.
He also reviewed the integration of MuleHunter.AI with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), saying the initiative will strengthen fraud detection capabilities and improve preparedness against emerging cyber threats in cooperative banking.
During the discussions on the proposed Cooperative Bank of India (COBI), Sahkar Sarathi and NUCFDC, Shah highlighted their role in building a stronger, technology-enabled and sustainable cooperative banking framework.
In separate reviews of National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) and National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), the Minister directed greater efforts to expand procurement from organic farmers, strengthen testing and certification systems, and provide better market linkages.
He also reviewed plans to expand cooperative products through the Co-op Mark digital marketplace, physical retail channels and international markets. NCEL was asked to identify new export opportunities for niche and value-added products to improve the global competitiveness of India’s cooperative sector.
The Ministry of Cooperation said these initiatives align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” with a focus on digital transformation, financial inclusion, sustainable agriculture and stronger global market access for cooperative products.
