Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Earth Summit 2025’ at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, highlighting the summit’s role in shaping a transformative roadmap for India’s rural economy. The event, attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel and several senior dignitaries, marked the launch of over 13 new digital services under the Sahakar Sarathi platform, including Digi KCC, ePACS, Cooperative Governance Index, and the world’s largest grain storage application.
In his address, Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is reviving Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj, bringing villages to the centre of national development. He emphasised that the Earth Summit series aims to resolve key issues across four ministries connected to the rural economy, with a consolidated policy framework expected after next year’s summit in Delhi.
Shri Shah announced that a Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) will be established in every Panchayat, with the goal of tripling the cooperative sector’s contribution to India’s GDP. Highlighting Gujarat’s successful “Cooperation among Cooperatives” model, he noted that thousands of crores in low-cost deposits have been mobilised, strengthening credit capacity across the cooperative network.
The Minister underscored the critical role of technology, stating that Sahakar Sarathi, developed by NABARD, will bring all cooperative banks under a unified digital umbrella, providing world-class banking facilities, including e-KCC services, to rural farmers.
Key announcements included the launch of ‘Sahakar Taxi’, set to become India’s largest cooperative taxi service, and plans to introduce cooperative insurance across health, life, agriculture and accident sectors. Shri Shah also highlighted efforts to expand organic farming, strengthen the circular economy in cooperatives, and boost exports through multi-state cooperative networks.
