New Delhi, Jan 18 (NationPress) The National Cooperative Database (NCD) has documented over 8.5 lakh cooperatives, with approximately 6.6 lakh currently in operation. This impressive network covers nearly 98 percent of rural India and serves around 32 crore members across 30 sectors, according to official data released on Sunday.

These cooperatives link milk producers, artisans, fishers, traders, and workers to markets, and have established connections with women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), integrating nearly 10 crore women into the cooperative framework.

“From nationally recognized entities like Amul to major organizations such as NABARD, KRIBHCO, and IFFCO, along with thousands of local societies, these bodies form a foundational pillar of India’s economic structure,” stated the official report.

Significantly, the government has sanctioned a Rs 2,925.39 crore initiative aimed at computerizing operational Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and integrating them into a common Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-based national software platform.

Under this program, every PACS will receive critical hardware support, including a computer, webcam, VPN, printer, and biometric device.

As of now, 59,261 PACS are actively utilizing ERP software, a rise from 47,155 PACS as of January 2, 2025.

“Hardware has been delivered to 65,151 PACS, representing about 82 percent of the expanded target of 79,630 PACS (up from 57,578 PACS covered as of January 2025). Online audits have been conducted in 42,730 PACS, with 32,119 PACS enabled as e-PACS and 34.94 crore transactions processed through 22 ERP modules, while the software is available in 14 languages,” the data further indicated.

According to the National Cooperative Database, 32,009 new PACS, dairy, and fishery cooperatives have been registered. Currently, PACS operates in 2,55,881 Gram Panchayats (GPs), dairy cooperatives cover 87,159 GPs, and fisheries cooperatives are present in 29,964 Gram Panchayats nationwide.

Moreover, PACS have been integrated with various central government schemes, significantly enhancing their role as local service delivery hubs.

To date, 38,190 PACS have been upgraded to Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs) to provide agricultural inputs, while 51,836 PACS operate as Common Service Centres (CSCs) delivering over 300 e-services, as shown by the data.