MoUs & New Initiatives
Initiatives & Focus Areas
Promoting Cooperative Entrepreneurship
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted a majority of population including smaller enterprises and cooperatives. The stringent lockdown measure have resulted in migration of a section of skilled and semi-skilled workforce back to their village and they are looking for employment there. It has also been found that the SHGs and communities who want to become part of cooperative fraternity need proper handholding in registration process and information about various schemes of the related government departments.
Assessing Contribution of Cooperatives in GDP
While addressing the first National Cooperative Conference in New Delhi on 25th September, 2021, the Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah Ji said that the cooperative movement and organisations will play a key role in making India a $5-trillion economy, helping unlock the potential of the rural economy as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, it is important to assess the contribution to cooperatives in India’s GDP and NCUI has recently engaged a reputed consulting firm named Ernst & Young to conduct a study to understand the impact of cooperatives make in the Indian economy, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We are expecting the study to be completed by the year end.
Launching NCUI Haat
NCUI Haat initiative has been conceived to empower women led and lesser known cooperatives by providing them a stall space for their products at an exhibition-cum-sale centre named ‘NCUI Haat’ in its premises located in a premium location in Delhi. Though this initiative is for the self-help groups of NCUI field projects, but to expand the landscape of Indian Cooperative Movement, other self-help groups, specifically women groups are also being given an opportunity to benefit from NCUI HAAT initiative.
NCUI Haat supports many of the flagship programmes and initiatives launched by Government of India such as National Livelihood Mission, ‘Vocal for Local’ and Skill India Mission. expanding its reach to all parts of the country thereby creating an enabling environment for "Sahkar se Samridhi" i.e. prosperity through cooperatives.
Advisory Council
NCUI has recently constituted an Advisory Council of experts coming from premier institutions like Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to devise strategies for revamping structure of field projects and and making it more livelihood oriented for associated coops and SHGs. The Advisory Council will also deliberate on the various challenges faced by cooperatives in business development andmarket linkages and suggesting suitable interventions to tackle them.
Skill Development Centre at Noida
NCUI is also in the process of establishing a state-of-the-art Skill Development Centre with focus intervention to build the capacity of members and staff of cooperatives and cope up with the emerging challenges in market and grab the new avenues of businesses. NCUI has started a consultation process with State Cooperative Federations, Chambers of Commerce & Industry and various other Industry Federations at national and state level to understand the nature and quantum of the demand of skilled work force in the country. Accordingly, we are planning various short-term skill development programs to cater to the demand and ensure both employability and placement of the candidates after the completion of their programmes.
R& D Project for empowering Cooperatives
NCUI is currently carrying out a research and development project to conduct extensive field work in different zones of India tp devise strategies for building partnerships with relevant government departments, social organizations and enterprises for knowledge exchange and building capacities of cooperatives. The project will help to identify success stories and best practices in the field of cooperatives, agriculture and women empowerment and building linkages with reputed academic/ research institutions for strengthening outreach network and soliciting support under various projects of NCUI.
Leveraging ICT for empowering Cooperatives
NCUI in past eight months has several measures to use the power of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to promote cooperative identity and support cooperative businesses. An application on NCUI Haat is being developed to build an interface between producers and buyers at national level. NCCE a wing of NCUI has been playing an important role in capacity building of members in all the sectors concerning functioning on cooperatives at all the levels. We have initiated the process of launching e-learning application for accessing complete information about starting and running cooperative form of business in one click. NCUI is also organizing training programmes for members and staff of cooperatives to build their capacities in using social media for promoting their businesses.
Establishing a Cooperative Entrepreneurship Development Cell
NCUI in the process of establishing a dedicated Cooperative Entrepreneurship Development Cell which will work in the following areas:
- Providing technical and consultancy support to the self-help groups/communities who aspire to register a cooperative society at state and central level.
- Identifying innovative approach and modules for running skill development programs for members and staff of cooperatives
- Build capacities of the members and staff of cooperatives in formulating business proposals, branding and marketing of their products
- Conducting research and studies to understand the challenges and issues of the cooperatives and providing appropriate solutions.
- Identifying new food processing technologies/ livelihood options for business diversification and enhancing business prospects of the cooperatives.
- Preparing a handbook for promoting cooperative identity and empowering cooperative institutions.
Collaborations & MOUs
The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) is a premier organization of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, engaged in training, consultancy, research, etc. in order to promote entrepreneurship and Skill Development. NCUI has signed an MoU with NIESBUD on 7th September, 2021 to work together for organizing Trainer’s Training Programme in the area of entrepreneurship, skills and education, developing course curriculum on entrepreneurship, identifying skill & entreprenurial opportunities and incubation support through industries under CSR
The Agricultural and Processed food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985. Functions of APEDA include development of industries relating to the scheduled products , registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products, fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports; etc.NCUI has signed an MoU with APEDA on 24th August, 2020 to work together in synergizing their various programmes in the interest of agriculture and allied sector. Through the collaboration, NCUI will work with APEDA to achieve the goal of doubling the farmer’s income as set out by the government in its Agri Export Policy (AEP) and capacity development of agri-processing and allied coops/SHGs.National Skill Development Corporation
National Skill Development Corporation ( NSDC)
NSDC is a not-for-profit public limited company which aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions. Further, the organisation provides funding to build scalable and profitable vocational training initiatives. Its mandate is also to enable support system which focuses on quality assurance,information systems and train the trainer academies either directly or through partnerships. NCUI is in the process of signing an MoU with NSDC to upgrade skill and training infrastructure and explore new vocational training programs for cooperatives.
Quality Council of India (QCI)
QCI was set up in 1997 as an autonomous body jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It aims to establish and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality Campaign. NCUI is in final talks with QCI to sign an MoU for accreditation of the courses being run by NCCE related to cooperative development.
Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA)
The mission of WDRA is to regulate and ensure implementation of the provisions of the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007 for the development and regulation of warehouses, Regulations of Negotiability of Warehouse Receipts and promote orderly growth of the warehousing business.To educate the grassroot level farmers about the scientific storage system of the warehouse and prevent post-harvest losses besides not getting coerced into distress sales.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
GIZ supports people in acquiring specialist knowledge, skills and management expertise and helps organisations, public authorities and private businesses to optimise their organisational, managerial and production processes. Germany has been cooperating with India by providing expertise through GIZ for more than 50 years. To address India's priority of sustainable and inclusive growth, GIZ's joint efforts with the partners in India currently focus on sustainable urban and industrial development, natural resource management, renewable energy and energy efficiency.Director, natural resource management & agro-ecology, GIZ, India had a meeting with the Chief Executive, NCUI on 12th August, 2021 and both
Rainmatter Foundation
Rainmatter Foundation is a non-profit initiative by the people behind Zerodha. The organization is committed to using the resources available to us to enable, and to attempt to replicate at scale, the potential solutions that may help address at least
some of these threats, and aid in the restoration of our natural ecosystems. Rainmatter Foundation has proposed to collaborate with NCUI for documentation of success stories and best practices in farming and other sectors related to agriculture, forestry and other sectors related to rural economy, especially with a focus around natural capital and ecological wealth. The collaboration will also help in building capacities of cooperatives and farmer organisations and executing pilot projects in selected areas to develop models of livelihoods and ecology restoration
Vyakti Vikas Kendra Trust India (VVKI) of Art of Living
VVKI was established by ‘Art of Living’ organization to aid a far-reaching social transformation in India through the Art of Living programs and implementing a broad range of service projects to uplift and empower individuals, families and communities so that full potential of human life can be expressed. An MoU was signed between NCUI and VVKI at the Art of Living Campus in Bangalore on 4th October, 2021. With the signing of the MoU, NCUI and VVKI have come together to develop models of cooperative development and good governance through training and capacity building programs for the farmers in areas of water harvesting, agri-business and rural livelihoods in phased manner. VVKI will collaborate with NCUI for strengthening existing cooperative education programs through its ethicaland motivational training modules. VVKI will also design effective training programs for skill development and employment of rural youth in agriculture, processing industry and other areas related to rural economy. In addition to this, VVKI will also support NCUI in promoting cooperative identity in the underdeveloped regions of the country through their existing rural development projects.
Fashion Design Council of India
Fashion Design Council of India is a not-for-profit organization that works to further the business of fashion in India and ensure its sustainable growth. It promotes and nurtures its over 400 members, who represent the best in Indian fashion.
These members include fashion and accessory designers and professionals, educational institutions and corporates.FDCI has agreed to work with NCUI to provide space and visibility to NCUI HAAT during The Fashion Week and other events organized by FDCI. FDCI will also engage students/ professionals of fashion design to help cooperatives with design interventions for customizing and upgrading their products as per market requirements for better business prospects.