Gandhinagar: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday, in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, inaugurated the two-day Earth Summit 2025–26 at Mahatma Mandir.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Amit Shah said that the Earth Summit series is envisioned to transform India’s rural economy into the strongest pillar of the national economy.
The summit, jointly organised by NABARD and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), features a grand expo which the dignitaries inaugurated before visiting various stalls.
The second edition of the summit, he noted, is being held in Gujarat — the land of Mahatma Gandhi, who long ago emphasised that India’s development can never be complete without uplifting its rural heartland.
Shah remarked that agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperation — the three pillars of rural development — were neglected for decades after Independence.
Since 2014, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, all three sectors have been revitalised, he said.
To strengthen them further, the combined budget of the Ministries of Rural Development, Agriculture and Cooperation has increased threefold — from Rs 1.02 lakh crore in 2014 to more than Rs 3.15 lakh crore in 2025–26.
Shah said the nation has resolved that by the time India completes 100 years of Independence, it should lead the world in every sector. This vision of a fully developed India is only possible when every citizen is empowered. As part of this effort, the government plans to establish at least one cooperative society in every panchayat and increase the number of active cooperative members to over 50 crore, thereby tripling the cooperative sector’s contribution to India’s GDP.
Highlighting the summit theme “Empowering Rural Innovation for Global Change”, the Home and Cooperation Minister said that meaningful dialogue, practical solutions and grassroots innovations can enhance rural productivity, improve citizen welfare and create long-term economic resilience. He expressed confidence that the outcomes of the summit would help address major structural challenges faced by the rural economy.
The Union Minister added that the third edition of the Earth Summit will be held next year in Delhi, after which a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening India’s rural economy and cooperative movement will be implemented nationwide. So far, the summit has seen participation from over 10,000 delegates, 1,200 corporates, 500 expert speakers, 300 startups, 250 exhibitors and more than 50 investors, alongside over 30 workshops and masterclasses.
Shah also unveiled NABARD’s ‘Sahakar Saathi’ digital suite, launched under the Sahakar Saathi initiative, which provides more than 13 modern services — including Sahakar Setu and Sangrah Saathi — designed to bring rural, district and urban cooperative banks under one digital umbrella. This, he said, will offer cooperative banks technology at par with private banks, supporting loan recovery, legal documentation, KYC compliance and future services such as e-Kisan Credit Cards.
Discussing successful experiments in Gujarat’s Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts, HM Shah said the ‘Cooperation Among Cooperatives’ model — where all cooperative societies maintain their deposits with cooperative banks — has significantly boosted low-cost deposits. After policy refinements, this model will be implemented nationwide, he said.
He also noted India’s rapid expansion in natural farming, now adopted by 49 lakh farmers. To establish global credibility for their produce, the government is building a nationwide organic testing ecosystem in partnership with India Organics and Amul Organics.
India’s share in the global organic market is expected to exceed 20 per cent by 2030 and 40 per cent by 2035, he said.
HM Shah added that Cooperative Taxi services — currently under trial in Delhi with over 51,000 driver registrations — are set to become the country’s largest taxi network within two years. Cooperative Insurance services will follow, creating village-level employment opportunities.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel described the summit as timely and aligned with the state’s vision of empowering rural economies through agriculture, innovation, human development and cooperative strength.
He highlighted Gujarat’s initiatives in financial inclusion, circular economy, green growth, climate resilience, natural farming, dairy development and women-led rural progress — all reflecting the cooperative spirit envisioned by India’s first Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah.
During the event, several major releases were launched, including the ‘Sahakar Saathi’ digital services, NABARD’s State Focus Paper for Gujarat 2026–27 and the NABARD-BCG research report “The Future of Rural Banking”.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Central and state governments, NABARD, cooperative banking leaders, industry representatives and a large gathering of farmers and cooperative sector stakeholders.
(IANS)
