Cooperatives for Rural Prosperity: Strengthening Uttarakhand’s Cooperative Economy through Value Chains, Quality and Markets

Uttarakhand : PHDCCI brings together Government, cooperative leaders, industry and export bodies in Dehradun to drive value chains, quality, branding and traceability for rural prosperity

Uttarakhand’s cooperatives must move beyond production and compete on quality, brand and market access. That was the clear message from the Uttarakhand Cooperative Summit 2026, organised today by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) at the IRDT Auditorium, Dehradun. Held on the theme “Cooperatives for Rural Prosperity: Strengthening Uttarakhand’s Cooperative Economy through Value Chains, Quality and Markets”, the Summit brought together Government representatives, cooperative leaders, industry, technical experts, professional institutions and market players.

Uttarakhand’s opportunity is distinctive: organic and natural produce, Himalayan and traditional products, horticulture, herbs, dairy and allied activities. The Summit focused on turning this potential into better returns for farmers through aggregation, processing, food safety, packaging, branding and traceability, built on stronger primary cooperatives and PACS.

Opening the Summit, Shri Rupesh K. Pandey, Director, PHDCCI, set the context, calling for the State’s cooperative institutions to be firmly linked with value addition, quality, technology and markets.

Gracing the Inaugural Session as Chief Guest, Hon’ble Shri Ganesh Joshi, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Soldier Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand, underlined the central role of cooperatives in rural prosperity and farmer welfare. The inaugural deliberations called for a decisive shift from production-led activity to aggregation, processing, branding, marketing and consumer access, backed by technology, scientific agriculture, quality systems and closer industry partnerships.

Dr. Devendra Bhasin, Vice Chairman, State Higher Education Upgradation Committee, Government of Uttarakhand, pointed to digitalisation, computerisation and emerging technologies, including AI, as levers for transparency, member services, market intelligence and operational efficiency. CMA Navneet Jain, Chairman, Cooperative & NPO Development Board, ICMAI, stressed professional management and stronger institutional linkages so that cooperatives can seize emerging market opportunities. Shri C. B. Singh, General Manager, APEDA, brought the export perspective, highlighting the scope to take Uttarakhand’s agricultural, horticultural and processed products to national and international markets.

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