Pune, 6th November 2026

 

The Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), Pune, conducted its second four-day exposure visit programme for officials of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS), Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) and Cooperative Ombudsman from 27 to 30 October 2026. The programme aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of the cooperative movement, cooperative business models and the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, through a classroom session and visits to cooperative institutions and a farmer producer company.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Suva Kanta Mohanty, Director, VAMNICOM and CICTAB. In his inaugural address, Dr. Mohanty expressed his gratitude to the Ministry and the participants for their support in making the programme possible. He highlighted the importance of field-based learning and stated that visiting institutions and learning from their experiences can provide a deeper understanding of how cooperatives function.

Dr. Mohanty emphasised that motivation and education play an important role in the success of cooperative institutions. He observed that while cooperatives are widely discussed, their working and achievements can be better understood by examining successful examples. He also shared his personal experiences associated various successful cooperatives and spoke about the value of learning from field-level initiatives.

The programme combined a classroom session with study visits to institutions working in cooperative credit, banking, agriculture, agro-processing, sugar, dairy and allied sectors. On the first day, Shri Anil Kawade, IAS (Retd.), Commissioner, State Cooperative Election Authority, Maharashtra, delivered a session on the cooperative movement in Maharashtra and the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. This was followed by visits to Tuljabhawani Multistate Co-operative Credit Society Ltd., Hadapsar, and Annapurna, Warje, Pune. On the second day, participants visited Pavitrak Farmer Producer Company, The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd. and Venkateshwar Co-operative Power and Agro Processing Ltd. The third day included visits to the Maharashtra Urban Co-operative Banks Federation at Wadala, Mumbai, and Shivsahyadri Sahakari Patpedhi Ltd. at Matunga West. On the final day, participants visited Bhimashankar Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. and Amul Satellite Dairy.

The visits provided participants with an opportunity to relate their understanding of cooperative principles and the legal framework to the functioning of organisations across different sectors. They also offered exposure to different approaches to cooperative credit, banking, agricultural enterprise and agro-processing.

The programme highlighted the importance of member participation, education, sound governance and professional management in strengthening cooperative institutions. By bringing participants into contact with a range of organisations, the programme connected classroom learning with field-level experience and encouraged a broader understanding of the cooperative sector.

The programme also offered participants an opportunity to consider how the practices observed during the visits could inform their work in cooperative governance and regulatory oversight. These experiences provided a practical context for understanding member services, financial management and compliance, and for sharing relevant insights within their respective offices.

Dr. D. Ravi was the faculty member associated with the study visits throughout the programme. VAMNICOM faculty member Dr. Arvind Darshna also joined the team on 28 October 2026.

The participants were Shri Rakesh Kumar Jaiswal (ASO), Dr. Mili Saxena (SCO), Shri Sachin Kumar (SCO), Shri Pankaj Kumar Jha (US), Shri Vinay Kumar Ginni (AD), Shri Amit Sachdeva (STA) and Shri Jagdessha M (SCO).

VAMNICOM functions under the National Council for Cooperative Training and is promoted by the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India. The Institute contributes to the development of the cooperative sector through management education, training, research, consultancy and capacity-building initiatives. The programme reflects its continued efforts to strengthen cooperative governance, professional management and understanding of the cooperative sector.

 

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Harshal Akude / Madhura Nerurkar

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