SDG 2: Zero Hunger | SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Cooperation
The National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) is India’s dedicated, multi-state co-operative for export promotion, legally registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act in January 2023. Its initial paid-up capital is ₹500 crore, contributed equally by five promoter cooperatives: IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, GCMMF (Amul), and NCDC.
By August 2025, NCEL has onboarded 11,034 cooperatives (including 10,793 PACS and other co-ops). It has exported 13.49 lakh metric tonnes of agricultural and allied goods worth ₹5,403.01 crore across 28 countries. Key products include rice (basmati & non-basmati), marine items (shrimp), coarse cereals, wheat, fruits & vegetables, spices, and tea. For 2024-25, NCEL posted a net profit of ₹122 crore on turnover of ₹4,283 crore.
What Are Cooperatives and Why a Nodal Agency Matters?
Cooperatives are member-owned organisations where individuals pool resources to meet shared needs, common in Indian agriculture, dairy (Amul), and credit societies. Paid-up capital refers to the actual funds contributed by members—in NCEL’s case, ₹500 crore already committed for operations. A nodal agency like NCEL is important as it consolidates fragmented cooperative efforts, provides branding and certification, builds bargaining power in global markets, and ensures alignment with national trade and agricultural policy.
NCEL’s objectives include acting as the nodal export agency for cooperatives, building capacity in branding, packaging, certification, infrastructure, market intelligence, and negotiating trade MoUs. The government aims to channel all cooperative exports through NCEL, targeting an eventual turnover of ₹2 lakh crore.
Though still in its early phase, NCEL has already demonstrated financial viability and export momentum, with over ₹5,400 crore in exports and a net profit of ₹122 crore in 2024-25. This indicates the model is working and NCEL is on track to meet its larger mandate of scaling cooperative exports. Its success can reduce fragmentation, improve market linkages for remote producers, and enable Indian cooperatives to enter global value chains. The initiative strengthens cooperative reforms under the Ministry of Cooperation and aligns with national goals on Make in India and agri-export promotion.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How effectively can NCEL ensure equitable benefits to small primary co-ops (PACS) while scaling to global markets, and how will governance, accountability and competitive pressures be managed?
Follow the full news here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2171546