Delhi State Cooperative Bank to venture into financing farmers, artisans

In a bid to strengthen the cooperative banking ecosystem in the National Capital Territory, NABARD’s New Delhi Regional Office organised its first Capacity Building Workshop for branch managers of the Delhi State Cooperative Bank Ltd. (DStCB) on Monday. The workshop aimed to enhance participants’ understanding and capabilities across developmental, regulatory, supervisory and business development aspects of cooperative banking.


Inaugurating the programme, Nabin Kumar Roy, Chief General Manager, NABARD, highlighted the critical role of cooperative banks in financial inclusion and local economic development. He stressed the need for stronger governance, technology adoption, customer-centric services, and institutional capacity building to drive sustainable growth.


The workshop featured expert sessions from Harish Jhirwal, AGM, RBI; Anil Kumar, Dy RCS, GNCTD; Dr. D K Rana, Sr. Scientist and Head, KVK Ujwa; Smt. Sandhya Kapoor, Director, NCUI; and team of NABARD Head Office and New Delhi Regional Office, covering key areas such as Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, DEA Fund, KYC compliance, Cooperative Governance, Cyber Security, Fraud Risk Management, Farmers' credit needs, National Cooperative Policy, and opportunities for business diversification, including MSME financing and digital banking.

The programme provided a platform for Branch Managers and senior officials of DStCB to deliberate on professionalism, business diversification and technology-led transformation in cooperative banking.

In his concluding remarks, CGM, NABARD urged cooperative banks to prioritise the credit needs of farmers, weavers, artisans and other underserved sections, while extending support to beneficiaries of government initiatives for peri-urban and urban poor households.

Reiterating NABARD's vision for a stronger grassroots cooperative structure, he expressed confidence that collective stakeholder efforts would facilitate the revival or development of at least one vibrant PACS/MPACS in Delhi. He noted that such an institution would unlock new business opportunities, deepen financial inclusion, improve access to credit and government schemes, and further the vision of Ministry of Cooperation, GoI’s "Sahakar Se Samriddhi" by strengthening last-mile cooperative institutions in the National Capital Territory.

Rajiv Kumar Kadyan, Managing Director (Officiating), DStCB, called upon Branch Managers to lead the transformation of cooperative banking through innovation, customer-centric service and digital adoption. NABARD reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening grassroots cooperatives and fostering sustainable, inclusive growth in Delhi.