India, Nov. 11 -- India's cooperative sector, among the world's largest, stands at a historic crossroads.

The new National Cooperative Policy 2025 promises reform and inclusivity.

Yet political patronage, weak accountability, and hollow democracy threaten its core ideals.

True renewal lies in restoring grassroots participation and rebuilding public trust.

Cooperatives were born in the 19th century out of a search for fairer economies. Robert Owen's community-owned ventures planted the seed, but the real breakthrough came in 1844, when the Rochdale Pioneers in England laid down the rules of open membership, one-member-one-vote, and fair profit sharing. These principles remain the DNA of the cooperative movement.

Thinkers, however, dif...