India's cooperative sector has achieved a historic milestone on the global stage, with two homegrown giants capturing the top positions in the prestigious World Cooperative Monitor 2025 rankings. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), better known for its iconic Amul brand, has been ranked as the world’s number one cooperative, while the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) secured the second position based on GDP per capita performance.
International Cooperative Alliance announced these rankings at its CM50 Conference in Doha, Qatar, marking a significant achievement for Indian cooperative movements.
Amul's remarkable success stems from its robust three-tier cooperative structure that connects over 18,600 village dairy cooperatives with approximately 36 lakh milk producers across India. What makes this achievement particularly noteworthy is that the majority of these milk producers are women, highlighting the cooperative's role in rural women's empowerment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate both organizations, posting that India's cooperative sector is vibrant and transforming several lives, while assuring that the government is taking numerous steps to further encourage this sector in the times to come.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah also celebrated the achievement on X, terming it a proud moment for Bharat. He honored the tireless dedication of millions of women associated with Amul and farmers contributing to IFFCO, describing it as testament to the boundless potential of cooperatives being transformed into a global model of empowerment and self-reliance under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.
The Brussels-headquartered International Cooperative Alliance, which represents cooperatives worldwide, conducts this annual assessment in collaboration with the EURICSE (European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises). The World Cooperative Monitor evaluates the economic and social impact of the world's largest cooperatives, examining their contributions to inclusive development, employment generation, and community welfare.
This recognition reinforces India's growing influence in the global cooperative movement and demonstrates how community-driven business models can achieve world-class performance. It validates the cooperative structure as a powerful tool for economic empowerment and sustainable development, particularly in rural areas where these organizations serve as catalysts for social transformation and financial inclusion.
