Entrepreneurship through Cooperative Movement Programme as a Part of National Cooperative Week Celebration

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad in collaboration with AMUL and IFFCO celebrated the National Cooperative Week on Friday at EDII Campus.  The inaugural event of the programme, ‘Promoting Entrepreneurship through Cooperative Movement’ was graced by Chief Guest, Shri Anil Kumar Bayati, General Manager, AmulFed Dairy, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Guest of Honour, Shri P M Meva, Chief Manager (Marketing), IFFCO, Kalol, Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Special Guest, Prof. (Dr.) Rana Singh, Director, Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP), Patna, Bihar. EDII, on this occasion, also entered into an MoU with this Institute.

The event saw participation of over 300 professionals championing the cause of cooperatives and the cooperative movement, students from universities including the Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Udaybhansinhji Regional Institute of Cooperative Management, Gandhinagar, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior, Udaan Trust of Social Work, Vishwakarma Government Engineering College, Ahmedabad , startups, academia, entrepreneurs and policy makers.

Shri Anil Kumar Bayati, General Manager, AmulFed Dairy, Gandhinagar, Gujarat traced the genesis of Amul. He said, “It is a role model for cooperative Dairy Development. In a bid to transplant the spirit of Amul to other places, the ‘National Dairy Development Board’ was set up and the model was successfully replicated. Amul symbolizes the faith in the cooperative system which places the instruments of development in the hands of farmers.”

Shri P M Meva, Chief Manager (Marketing), IFFCO, said, “Across the world, cooperatives have contributed significantly to the economy of countries and have impacted development of societies. It was the only movement that was able to withstand against all socio-economic and political challenges and emerge as a winning strategy. It is a classic example of entrepreneurship and innovation, leading to empowerment.”

Prof. (Dr.) Rana Singh, Director, Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna emphasized on cooperative management as a significant academic discipline. He said, “Cooperatives must be inventive in order to be viable and empower their members based on their strengths and distinctive characteristics.  Cooperative enterprise is a domain that requires innovative minds as these enterprises also have to withstand cutthroat competition.”

Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII said, “With the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation to offer a distinct administrative, legal, and regulatory framework for the cooperatives, the cooperative movement in India is highly focused. Social capital is just as important as financial capital and to leverage on social capital, the cooperative movement is the strategy to depend on. AMUL and IFFCO have lived by the essence of cooperatives, i.e., empowerment of people, participatory management, democratic decision making and welfare of people.”

A panel discussion on ‘Emerging opportunities in Cooperative Entrepreneurship’ followed the inauguration. The panellists included Mr.  Rajiv Padia, Managing Director (Retd.), The Gujarat State Cooperative Bank & Management Consultant and Advisor; Dr. Anjani Kumar Asthana, Director, Udaybhansinhji Regional Institute of Cooperative Management, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Dr. Amit Dwivedi, Associate Professor, EDII, Ahmedabad and Mr. Shree Kant Kumar, Entrepreneurship Expert, EDII, Ahmedabad. The discussions focussed on the tremendous benefits of cooperatives to societies and economies in terms of employment generation, wealth creation and optimum use of resources. The panellists brainstormed on the need for cooperatives to be innovative, strategic and entrepreneurial in their approach, given the changing contours of the economy and the markets within and outside the country.