Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, on Sunday, July 6, 2025, marked four years of the Ministry of Cooperation with a series of key inaugurations and announcements in Anand, Gujarat. The occasion also coincided with the 150th birth anniversary year of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Speaking at the event, Minister Shah launched the Sardar Patel Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited and unveiled its logo. He also inaugurated a string of major cooperative infrastructure projects including the expansion of Amul’s cheese plant in Khatraj and its chocolate plant in Mogar. The upgraded chocolate facility will now double its production capacity from 30 to 60 tonnes per day.
The Union Minister also inaugurated the Ready-to-Use Culture (RUC) facility developed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) at a cost of Rs 45 crore. Additionally, he opened the new headquarters of the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), Maniben Patel Bhawan and laid the foundation stone of NDDB’s new office building.
Addressing the gathering, Shah highlighted the role of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee in India’s integration and said the day held special importance as it was also his birth anniversary. "If it weren’t for Dr. Mookerjee, Kashmir would not be an integral part of India today," Shah said.
Reflecting on the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021, Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a formal legislative structure to India’s centuries-old cooperative tradition. He noted that over 8.4 lakh cooperative societies linked with around 31 crore people are now contributing actively to India’s economic growth, from banking and dairy to sugar mills and digital payments.
Highlighting key initiatives, Shah said the ministry has undertaken more than 60 reforms based on five core principles: People, PACS, Platform, Policy, and Prosperity. He stressed that prosperity should not be limited to the wealthy but must uplift the poor, farmers, and daily wage earners, including the 56 lakh women working in dairy cooperatives whose collective annual turnover is poised to cross Rs 1 lakh crore.
Shah also announced the Kutch District Salt Cooperative Society as a new model aimed at empowering salt workers, similar to how Amul transformed the dairy sector. He underlined the importance of transparency, tech adoption, and member-centric governance to sustain and grow India’s cooperative movement.
"Where there is no transparency or use of technology, cooperation cannot thrive. The interest of members must always come first," Shah said, urging cooperative leaders to make these values part of their work culture during the International Year of Cooperatives.
