Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a symposium organised by the National Cooperative for Exports Limited on Monday where issues related to channelising cooperatives for linkages to export markets will be deliberated upon.

At the National Symposium on Cooperative Exports, to be held in the national capital, the minister will also launch the logo, website and brochure of National Cooperative for Exports Limited (NCEL) and distribute membership certificates to NCEL members.

A wide range of issues, including channelising cooperatives for linkages to export markets, potential of Indian agri-exports and opportunities for cooperatives will be discussed in the symposium, a statement said.

The NCEL came into existence after Shah emphasised on the need to establish a national-level multi-state cooperative society to function as an umbrella organisation for exports by the cooperative sector.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Cooperation has taken 54 initiatives in the last 27 months to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country. Setting up a national-level cooperative to promote export through cooperatives is one of such initiatives which is an important step towards realizing the Modi government’s vision of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’,” the statement said.

The National Cooperative for Exports Limited is the newly established umbrella organisation for cooperative sector exports registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 on January 25. It covers agriculture and allied activities as well as handloom and handicraft items by enrolling a large number of co-operatives under its fold with a target to double its revenue by 2025 from the current level of about Rs 2,160 crore.

All cooperative societies from the level of primary to apex, who are interested in exports, are eligible to become members of the NCEL which has an authorised share capital of Rs 2,000 crore. It aims to focus on exporting the surpluses available in the Indian cooperative sector by accessing wider markets beyond the geographical contours of the country.

The symposium will commence with a presentation by officials of the cooperation ministry on the various initiatives undertaken to strengthen the sector.

The national symposium will be attended by more than 1,000 participants. Four leading co-operatives — Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF – Amul), Indian Farmers’ Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) have jointly promoted NCEL, the statement added.