Over 1,08,000 PACS in the country are dispensing credit to over 14 crore members: Dr Bhutani

“Over 1,08,000 PACS in the country are dispensing credit to over 14 crore members” says Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation at a National Conference on Emerging Technologies in PACS organized by Ministry of Cooperation, PHDCCI and NABARD

As part of the nationwide celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives, Ministry of Cooperation, NABARD and PHDCCI, organized a National Conference on “Emerging Technologies in PACS” on July 1, 2025 at the PHD House.  Dr Ashish Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation (MOC), Govt of India was the Chief Guest at the Conference, which was attended by over 122 PACS members from 12 States.
 
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Dr Ashish Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Govt of India, talked about the commendable work being done by Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) in lending money to farmers in the remotest of villages for years.  However, the sector, for long, wasn’t given any support from the Government. To correct this mistake of the past, the Ministry of Cooperation was established in the year 2021. From facilitating Co-operatives in embracing the technology, bringing transparency in operations and transforming PACS into vibrant business enterprises enabling them to provide multi-dimensional and multipurpose economic activities to realize the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” is one of the key goals of the MoC.
 
“The Chamber has been working at the grassroots level to help the industry and trade flourish in the remotest towns and villages.  We are privileged to be part of MOC’s celebration of International Year of Cooperatives. The conference underscores the Government's commitment to driving digital transformation in the cooperative sector. To support this ambitious goal, the GoI has launched the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for computerization of more than one lacs PACS, to transform PACS into digitally enabled, service-rich institutions that actively contribute to rural prosperity”, said Dr Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI, in his welcome address.
 
In his remarks, Shri Goverdhan Singh Rawat, Deputy Managing Director of NABARD, said, “MoC in short 4 year span has achieved remarkable milestones and many large scale initiatives, with immense focus and rigorous implementation reviews. This workshop has reaffirmed MoCs vision and belief that technology is the key to making PACS more efficient, transparent, and responsive to the needs of rural India. NABARD remains committed to supporting this digital journey from computerization through digitization and subsequently digital delivery of services through adoption of emerging technology through funding, policy guidance, and capacity building.”

Key highlights from the event included:

* Live demos of PACS Unite ERP technology

* Launch of thought leadership on harnessing generative AI tools for PACS

* Thought provoking Discussions on role of PACS in digital age

* Case studies of successful PACS digitisation across states

* Roadmaps for sustainable digital adoption and training

The workshop served as a dynamic platform to showcase how cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Core Banking Systems, Cloud Platforms, and Digital Payments can revolutionize the functioning of over 1 lac PACS in India.  A compendium of recommendations from the event will be submitted to the Ministry of Cooperation and concerned State Governments to inform future policy and funding frameworks.

The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to collaborate closely for convergence and ensure that India’s cooperative institutions become digitally empowered agents of rural prosperity.
 
The National Conference was attended by senior dignitaries, including officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (GoI), Department of Food and Public Distribution (GoI), Principal Secretaries (Department of Cooperation) and RCS of many States/UTs, senior representatives from NCDC, NAFED, NFDB, NDDB, as well as speakers from Agri-Tech startups.