Date: 2026-05-12Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Government of India and IFAD launch new eight-year strategy with Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) from 2026 to 2033 to strengthen rural economy
**Executive Summary**
The Government of India and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launched the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for the 2026–2033 period. This eight-year strategy aims to enhance rural incomes, strengthen climate resilience, and scale sustainable livelihood opportunities in alignment with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision. Key action items include the strengthening of grassroots institutions and a new strategic partnership between IFAD and NABARD to innovate in rural finance.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Priorities**
* **Resilience Building:** Enhancing the social, economic, and climate resilience of rural communities to withstand external shocks.
* **Knowledge Leadership:** Strengthening knowledge systems to scale proven development models across India and other Global South regions, including Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
**Core Focus Areas**
* **Agricultural Transformation:** Moving from basic poverty alleviation toward market-oriented, sustainable rural livelihoods.
* **Livelihood Diversification:** Supporting the diversification of income sources and the development of women-led enterprises through e-commerce and value addition.
* **Institutional Strengthening:** Focusing on grassroots organizations such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and cooperatives.
**System Integration and Infrastructure**
* **Market Connectivity:** Building systems that connect rural institutions with finance, technology, infrastructure, and markets.
* **Financial Inclusion:** Continuing large-scale financial inclusion initiatives, particularly for women through the SHG model.
* **Innovation in Finance:** Strengthening rural finance systems and agricultural innovation through a specific strategic agreement between IFAD and NABARD.
**Impact Analysis**
**Rural Communities and Households**
**Impact**
Residents in rural areas will benefit from increased incomes, improved resilience against climate/economic shocks, and better access to market-oriented livelihood opportunities.
**Action Required**
Engage with grassroots institutions and utilize provided infrastructure and technology platforms to enhance productivity and market reach.
**Grassroots Institutions (SHGs, FPOs, and Cooperatives)**
**Impact**
These organizations are positioned as primary platforms for connecting rural producers to finance, technology, and infrastructure.
**Action Required**
Strengthen internal governance and operational capacity to facilitate large-scale financial inclusion and market integration for members.
**NABARD**
**Impact**
NABARD enters a formalized strategic partnership with IFAD to drive innovation in agricultural and allied sectors.
**Action Required**
Collaborate with IFAD to implement strengthened rural finance systems and support technological innovation in agriculture.
**Global South Partner Countries**
**Impact**
Countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America will gain access to India's successful development models regarding rural finance and climate-resilient value chains.
**Action Required**
Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives facilitated by the COSOP framework to replicate successful Indian development models.
Key Entities Referenced
Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) 2026–2033: An eight-year strategic roadmap launched to enhance rural incomes, build climate resilience, and scale sustainable livelihood opportunities across India.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): The international financial institution partnering with the Indian government to co-fund and implement rural development initiatives.
Department of Economic Affairs: The primary department within the Ministry of Finance responsible for managing the partnership and strategic alignment of the COSOP.
Viksit Bharat@2047: The long-term vision of the Government of India for a developed nation, which the COSOP 2026-2033 is specifically designed to support.
NABARD: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, which entered a strategic partnership with IFAD to strengthen rural finance systems and agricultural innovation.
Ministry of Finance
Government of India and IFAD launch new eight-
year strategy with Country Strategic
Opportunities Programme (COSOP) from 2026 to
2033 to strengthen rural economy
COSOP is aimed at enhancing rural incomes, strengthening
resilience, and scaling sustainable livelihood opportunities
across India
Posted On: 12 MAY 2026 8:30PM by PIB Delhi
The Government of India, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD), today launched a new eight-year Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for the
period 2026–2033, aimed at enhancing rural incomes, strengthening resilience, and scaling sustainable
livelihood opportunities across the country.
The announcement was made at the IFAD–India Partnership for Rural Prosperity event held at Bharat
Mandapam, New Delhi, with participation from senior government officials, IFAD leadership,
development partners, private sector representatives, and practitioners.
The COSOP 2026–2033 is aligned with the Government of India’s Viksit Bharat@2047 vision and
focuses on two strategic priorities:(i) enhancing the social, economic, and climate resilience of rural communities; and
(ii) strengthening knowledge systems to scale proven development models across India and other
countries of the Global South.
Addressing the gathering, Smt. Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs,
Ministry of Finance, said that “India-IFAD partnership is distinguished by not only its longevity, but its
strategic alignment. IFAD’s programs in India have remained closely integrated with national priorities –
supporting agricultural transformation, livelihood diversification, women’s empowerment, and
institutional strengthening.”
She further said that “Over time, the focus has evolved from basic poverty alleviation to building
sustainable, market-oriented rural livelihoods that are resilient to climate and economic shocks.”
In his address, Mr. Donal Brown, Associate Vice-President at IFAD, emphasized the strength of the
partnership. “What we are building together is not a collection of projects—it is a system that connects
institutions, finance, infrastructure and markets, and that delivers results for rural people long after anysingle investment ends. That is what makes this partnership uniquely valuable, and uniquely replicable,”
he said.
The newly launched strategy places strong emphasis on strengthening grassroots institutions such as Self-
Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and cooperatives, which serve as key
platforms connecting finance, technology, infrastructure, and markets.
Over the past two decades, IFAD-supported initiatives in India have demonstrated significant impact in
large-scale financial inclusion of women through SHGs, enhancement of market access for farmers
through infrastructure support, and development of women-led enterprises through value addition and e-
commerce integration.
The COSOP also aims to position India as a knowledge leader in rural development, facilitating the
sharing of successful models—such as inclusive rural finance, cooperative governance, digital agriculture
services, and climate-resilient value chains—with partner countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, and
Latin America.
On the sidelines of the event, IFAD and NABARD signed a strategic partnership agreement to further
strengthen rural finance systems and support innovation in agricultural and allied sectors.India’s partnership with IFAD spans nearly five decades, with 35 rural development projects
implemented across multiple states, supporting millions of rural households and contributing significantly
to inclusive growth.
The new COSOP reaffirms the Government of India’s commitment to transforming rural livelihoods,
enhancing resilience, and leveraging innovation for sustainable development, while also contributing
to global development cooperation.
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