A New Dawn for Bharat’s Farmers
High-Level Roundtable Unveils Visionary Blueprint for Cooperative Economic Zones and Commodity Corridors
In a landmark moment for Bharat’s agrarian future, today’s capital witnessed the unveiling of a transformative roadmap to place farmers at the epicentre of India’s economic resurgence. The High-Level National Roundtable on Cooperative Economic Zones (CEZs) and Cooperative Commodity Zones (CCZs) brought together India’s foremost cooperative leaders, policymakers, economists, and technocrats to ignite a powerful new vision — a cooperative-led economic renaissance rooted in empowerment, equity, and resilience.
Hosted at the prestigious ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (ICAR-NIAE&P) and chaired by Shri Dileep Sanghani, Chairman of IFFCO and President of NCUI, alongside Co-Chair Dr. U.S. Awasthi, MD of IFFCO, the Roundtable was spearheaded by the World Cooperation Economic Forum (WCOOPEF) in collaboration with ICAR-NIAE&P and supported by IFFCO and the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI).
The blueprint for this bold cooperative transformation was presented by Shri Binod Anand, Executive Chairman of WCOOPEF and globally recognized thought leader in cooperative economic frameworks.
Cooperatives: Bharat’s Path to Viksit 2047
Central to the deliberations was a shared conviction: Bharat will truly rise only when its farmers do — and the cooperative movement is the vehicle of that ascent.
In a compelling keynote, Shri Dileep Sanghani declared: “Cooperatives are not mere institutions — they are the soul of India’s self-reliance. CEZs will decentralise economic power and root it in trust, ownership, and the collective strength of rural communities. This is how we realise the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.”
Cooperative Corridors: The New Axis of Economic and National Security
This Roundtable elevated the role of CEZs and CCZs beyond development models, positioning them as strategic instruments of national stability, internal security, and rural resilience.
Dr. U.S. Awasthi emphasised: “In an era of geopolitical flux and supply chain fragility, the cooperative model stands tall as a shield of resilience. From Nano Urea to Drone Didis, IFFCO’s innovations have directly benefited over 225 women entrepreneurs, bringing ₹4.25 crore into rural hands — a living example of Sahkar se Siddhi.”
Shri Manish Sanghani, Chairman of the NCUI Youth Committee, echoed this, stating: “A financially empowered village is a secure nation. Through digital PACS, we are building the future — a future where trust, traceability, and technology converge for rural prosperity.”
A Conclave of National Minds
This historic gathering saw powerful participation from leading institutions and government bodies, including:
- Dr. Yogendra Kumar, Director Marketing, IFFCO
- Shri Prahalad Singh , Director IFFCO
- Shri Jagdeep Singh Nakai, Director IFFCO
- Dr. Umakant Dash, Director, IRMA
- Dr. K.K. Tripathy, Joint Secretary, PM-EAC
- Dr. P.S. Birthal, Director, ICAR-NIAE&P
- Dr. Sachin Kumar, WTO Expert, IIFT
- Dr. Mallika Kumar, SRCC, Delhi University
- Dr. Kamana Jha, Policy Economist
- Dr. Anuj Kanwal, Commissioner, Ministry of Jal Shakti
- Dr. Naveen P. Singh, Member, PM’s High-Powered Committee
- Dr. M.K. Verma, Director, ICAR-CITH
- Dr. Vishwas Tripathi, Chairman, India Pacific Chambers of Commerce
- Ms. Preeti Anand, Senior Vice President, WCOOPEF
- Dr. Sudhir Jha, Chairman, CNRI Youth Council
…alongside numerous academicians, cooperative leaders, and grassroots experts.
Strategic Outcomes: Laying the Foundation for a Cooperative Bharat
Key outcomes of the Roundtable included a unified commitment to:
- Establishing 150–200 CEZs to drive agro-industrial growth, clean energy, and decentralised rural manufacturing
- Launching CCZs to optimise aggregation, warehousing, processing, and market access
- Empowering PACS with digital finance, e-governance, and cybersecurity for local resilience
- Integrating blockchain, AI, and tokenised warehouse receipts to revolutionise rural trade and credit ecosystems
- Converting PACS into climate-resilient, data-empowered convergence centres for governance and growth
A National Commitment on a Global Stage
As 2025 is celebrated as the International Year of Cooperatives, this Roundtable firmly placed India on the global cooperative leadership map. The full recommendations from this forum will be submitted to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Ministry of Cooperation, and the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
The Movement Has Begun
This was not just a conference — it was the ignition of a national movement. A movement that no longer sees the farmer as a beneficiary, but as the builder of Bharat’s economic future. A movement where financial sovereignty meets internal security, and cooperation becomes the currency of strength.
“Let this day be remembered as the day Bharat reclaimed its economic narrative — not through exploitation, but through cooperation, resilience, and unity.”
