The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Gandhigram Department of Cooperation, and Agricultural Cooperative Staff Training Institute (ACSTI), Trivandrum jointly organised an international webinar with ICA-AP on “Platform Cooperatives: An Opportunity for Youth Entrepreneurship”. The purpose of this webinar was to promote youth entrepreneurial activities through cooperatives in India, as well as all over the world.

The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University) (GRI-DTBU) is a central university in India, funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. It was established in 1956, with the broad objective of developing manpower with updated knowledge, skills and practical experience in the field of cooperation; capable of managing cooperatives

ACSTI was established by the Kerala State Cooperative Bank in 1992. It envisages conducting training for the three-tier cooperative structure. Trainings are given to personnel and directors of the entire cooperative short-term credit structure. The core areas of training include Organisation Development, Finance Management, Development Action Plan, Financing Farm and Non-Farm Sector, Micro Finance, Project Finance and Human Resource Development. The programmes are organised with the active collaboration of the Kerala State Cooperative Bank (KSCB), Centre of Professional Excellence in Cooperatives (C-PEC), National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), etc. 

The webinar on Platform Cooperatives: An Opportunity for Youth Entrepreneurship targeted graduating and post graduate students, research scholars, teaching faculty, officials and non-officials in the cooperative field. Students of cooperation, management and computer science & IT participated in the webinar. There were 199 participants from different backgrounds.

The webinar was in line with the theme for International Youth Day 2020: Youth Engagement for Global Action. Mr. Balu Iyer, Regional Director, ICA-AP; and Mr. Santosh Kumar, Legislation Coordinator, ICA spoke on Cooperatives and Youth Employment Opportunities and Platform Cooperatives for Youth Entrepreneurship respectively. Dr. C. Pitchai, Professor, Department of Cooperation, GRI welcomed the participants of the webinar. Dr. B. Subburaj, Vice Chancellor, GRI inaugurated the webinar, narrating the origin and development of GRI. On cooperation, he explained the growth of cooperative movement in India and the roles played by the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors in the economic development of the nation.

Dr. V. P. R. Sivakumar, the Registrar of GRI, emphasized the global pervasiveness of the cooperative movement, with 12% of humanity as co-operators of any of the 3 million cooperatives on earth. International Youth Day 2020. Dr. M. Soundarapandian, Dean, School of Management Studies, in his felicitation address mentioned the role of the youth in the economic development of the nation. The new concept of platform cooperatives will help the youth for getting an employment opportunity and start a business venture. Dr. T. Paranjothi, Director, ACSTI, Kerala co-convenor of the programme moderated the webinar.

The webinar was followed by an engaging question and answer round which raised pertinent and practical queries on:

• How to bring the next generation into the cooperative movement?
• What are the prospects for the cooperative sector, especially when data are not authentically available for research for policy prescriptions?
• Dairy cooperatives are one of the successful cooperative models in India. How can we encourage the involvement of youth entrepreneurs in dairy cooperatives; and as policy makers in cooperative institutions?
• How can students/young people who are attending professional cooperative training be guided by mentors to be actively involved in cooperative institutions established at the village level?
• Do FPOs pose a challenge to cooperatives?
• How can FPOs and cooperatives coexist at village/taluka level?
• How can the cooperative principles be applied in service provider model?

This webinar was thought provoking and insightful with expert opinions shared by experienced co-operators from around the world. All the participants were sent E-Certificates within two days of the webinar.