National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Mobilises ₹38k Crore for Cooperative Sugar Mills and Women’s Cooperatives to Drive Rural Growth
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Institutions: Ministry of Cooperation
The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has introduced several targeted schemes to strengthen various segments of the cooperative sector, focusing on inclusivity and modernisation.
Key financial assistance highlights from the last three years FY 2021–22 to FY 2024–25 include:
Women’s Cooperatives: Rs. 4823.68 crore was disbursed to women cooperatives, significantly strengthening their participation in the cooperative sector. Specifically, Rs. 2.37crore was provided for infrastructure projects for women cooperatives between 2022–2025.
SC/ST Cooperatives: Rs. 57.78 crore was disbursed to SC\ST Cooperatives.
Sugar Mills: Cumulatively, as of March 2025, NCDC has extended Rs. 33311.79 crore in financial assistance to cooperative sugar mills across India.
The NCDC employs a strategy of sectoral and demographic targeting through dedicated schemes:
Yuva Sahakar: Promotes cooperative start-ups and innovation by supporting newly formed cooperatives for young entrepreneurs. It offers preferential support to cooperatives in the North Eastern Region, NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts, and those comprising exclusively women, SC\ST , or PwD members.
Swayam Shakti Sahakar Yojana: Specifically strengthens women’s participation in rural economic activities by extending financial assistance to agricultural credit cooperatives to provide loans and advances to women self-help groups (SHGs).
Ayushman Sahakar & Dairy Sahakar: Focuses on holistic development by supporting the healthcare ecosystem and strengthening end-to-end dairy sector activities (from bovine development to export), respectively.
Digital Sahakar: Aligns with the Digital India vision by promoting digitally empowered cooperatives, facilitating better credit access, and streamlining access to government incentives.
The NCDC’s operations demonstrate a crucial policy approach of leveraging the cooperative model for inclusive and decentralized development. The strategy of explicitly earmarking funds and offering preferential support based on geography (North East, Aspirational Districts) and demography (Women, SC\ST) directly addresses regional and social disparities.
The key takeaway is the successful integration of financial assistance with strategic national goals (Digital India, rural prosperity, and women’s empowerment). The disbursement to women’s cooperatives shows the quantifiable impact of dedicated policy schemes in enhancing social and economic participation at the grassroots level.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: Beyond financial disbursement, what measurable policy mechanisms are being deployed under schemes like Yuva Sahakar to foster long-term commercial viability and ensure the successful, innovative models are replicated across regions lagging in cooperative development?
Follow the full news here: NCDC Mobilises ₹38k Crore