The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of India have launched a new eight-year Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for 2026–2033 aimed at expanding rural incomes, strengthening resilience, and scaling sustainable rural development models across India and other regions of the Global South. The announcement was made during the IFAD–India Partnership for Rural Prosperity event held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The new strategy aligns with India’s Viksit Bharat@2047 vision and focuses on two main objectives: strengthening the social, economic, and climate resilience of rural communities, and improving knowledge systems that enable successful rural development models to be scaled nationally and shared internationally.
According to the Government of India, the partnership between IFAD and India has evolved significantly over time, moving beyond poverty alleviation to focus on sustainable, market-oriented rural livelihoods capable of withstanding climate and economic shocks. The strategy continues long-standing cooperation in areas such as agricultural transformation, livelihood diversification, women’s empowerment, and institutional strengthening.
IFAD officials emphasized that the new framework is designed to build integrated systems connecting institutions, finance, infrastructure, technology, and markets to generate long-term benefits for rural communities. The programme seeks to mobilize co-financing, support innovation, and integrate proven approaches within India’s policy and institutional systems.
Community-based institutions including self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer organizations (FPOs), and cooperatives will play a central role in implementing the strategy. These institutions are expected to act as platforms linking rural communities to finance, infrastructure, agricultural technology, and market opportunities.
The programme builds on development models and results achieved through earlier IFAD-supported initiatives across India. In Maharashtra, nearly one million women have established financial records through self-help group federations, helping secure more than ₹1,300 crore in bank lending with repayment rates close to 99 percent. In Meghalaya, investments in cold storage, logistics systems, and farm equipment have enabled smallholder farmers to access international markets including Dubai. In Uttarakhand, women-led producer enterprises have successfully developed and marketed locally sourced natural products through national e-commerce platforms.
According to IFAD, these initiatives demonstrate scalable rural development systems rather than isolated success stories. The new strategy aims to expand such models and strengthen India’s role as a global source of rural development solutions.
The COSOP also positions India and IFAD to build on the country’s leadership during its G20 Presidency by sharing rural development models with partner countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Areas of knowledge-sharing include cooperative governance, inclusive rural finance, digital agriculture services, and climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
At the event, IFAD also signed a strategic partnership agreement with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to strengthen rural finance systems and promote agricultural innovation. The partnership will focus on developing blended finance mechanisms and expanding access to long-term financing solutions for smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and agri-enterprises.
NABARD officials noted that the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to building community-based rural financial systems that support sustainable economic development and long-term resilience for rural populations across India.
IFAD stated that the new strategy aims not only to deepen rural transformation within India but also to contribute to broader global development efforts by promoting scalable and inclusive rural development solutions internationally.
