Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called for stronger cooperation between the Centre and Kerala to expand the state’s cooperative sector. He also highlighted women-led cooperatives as an important way to support rural businesses and create more economic opportunities for women.Shah was speaking at a cooperative programme at Kundara in Kollam district. The programme was held under the theme “Sahkar Se Samriddhi”, or prosperity through cooperation. It was linked to the observance of the International Year of Women Farmers. The event focused on increasing the participation of women in cooperative activities and supporting women-led enterprises.Key HighlightsAmit Shah asked Kerala Cooperation Minister M. Liju to visit New Delhi and work with the Centre on a detailed plan for the state’s cooperative sector.The SHE Mart initiative was launched to help women-led self-help groups and rural entrepreneurs reach markets and consumers.NCCF initiatives will expand access to local products and Indian brands through retail outlets in southern states.Mobile vans were launched to provide essential goods, including onions and other products, at affordable prices.Amit Shah Calls for Centre-Kerala CooperationDuring the programme, Shah asked Kerala Cooperation Minister M. Liju to visit New Delhi and work with the Union government on a comprehensive plan for strengthening the cooperative sector in Kerala.The move is aimed at improving cooperation between the Centre and the state in areas linked to rural development, agriculture and cooperative businesses.Kerala already has a large cooperative network. Government records show that the state has thousands of cooperative societies working across areas such as banking, agriculture, dairy, fisheries, housing and consumer services. The Kerala Cooperation Department lists M. Liju as the state’s Cooperation Minister.Shah's focus at the Kundara programme was also on creating more opportunities for women through cooperative institutions.SHE Mart Focuses on Women EntrepreneursA major part of the programme was the launch of the SHE Mart initiative.The initiative is designed to give women connected with self-help groups and rural enterprises better access to markets. Instead of depending only on loans or credit, the focus is on helping women develop businesses and sell their products directly to consumers.The programme aims to connect women producers with organised retail and consumer markets. This can include locally made food products, handicrafts and other goods produced by rural entrepreneurs.The Kundara event was organised as part of the International Year of Women Farmers observance. The NCCF programme focused on increasing women's participation in cooperatives and encouraging women-led cooperative enterprises.NCCF Plans Retail ExpansionThe National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) also announced initiatives to expand the reach of cooperative products.According to the event details, local products and Indian brand products are planned to be made available through more than 2,500 retail outlets and over 300 SHE Mart stores across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.The objective is to create more market access for products while also giving consumers greater access to goods through cooperative retail networks.NCCF also planned the expansion of schemes such as Nandini Sahakar and Swayam Shakti Sahakar during the programme.Mobile Vans to Sell Essential GoodsThe event also included the launch of mobile vans linked to NCCF and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).The vans are intended to supply essential commodities to consumers at affordable prices. One of the initiatives announced for the Kundara programme involved mobile vans selling onions from buffer stocks at Rs 35 per kg.The broader initiative also includes products such as Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice, according to the programme details.Such mobile retail services can help take essential goods closer to consumers, especially in areas where access to organised retail may be limited.Scholarships for Farmers' FamiliesThe programme also highlighted support for farming families.Scholarships were awarded to daughters of farming families under the NAFED Welfare Scholarship Scheme. The initiative links cooperative institutions with welfare measures for farmers and their families.The Union government has also been expanding the role of NAFED and NCCF in agricultural marketing. In June 2026, the Ministry of Cooperation said NAFED and NCCF were being developed for direct procurement of pulses and other farm products from farmers, with the stated aim of improving market access and direct payments.Kerala's Large Cooperative NetworkKerala has a long-established cooperative sector with thousands of registered societies. Earlier reporting based on state cooperative data put the number of registered cooperative societies at more than 23,000, covering areas including credit, agriculture, dairy, fisheries and consumer services.The Centre has been promoting the broader “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” approach to increase the role of cooperatives in rural economic activity.For Kerala, the Kundara programme brought a particular focus on women farmers, self-help groups and rural entrepreneurs.The event also included Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi and other representatives from the cooperative sector. After the Kundara programme, Shah was scheduled to travel to Amritapuri in Vallikavu for a separate public programme.The emphasis on women-led cooperatives, market access and affordable essential goods places rural enterprises and cooperative networks at the centre of the government's latest outreach in Kerala.
