25th Tibetan Cooperatives Conference Opens with Calls to Adapt to Changing Economic and Social Landscape

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 27 August: The 25th Annual General Conference of the Tibetan Cooperatives in India opened here on Wednesday, with speakers calling on Tibetan cooperative societies to adapt to changing economic conditions, demographic shifts, and evolving consumer markets.

The conference, which runs from 27 to 30 August, has brought together around 40 participants from 15 Tibetan cooperative societies across India, along with representatives of the Federation of Tibetan Cooperatives in India (FTCI), the apex body representing Tibetan cooperative societies operating across seven Indian states.

At the opening ceremony held at the Sikyong Hall of the Central Tibetan Administration, speakers reflected on the evolving role of Tibetan cooperative societies, describing them as institutions that have sustained the economic foundations of exile settlements for decades while emphasising the need for them to adapt to a rapidly changing social and commercial landscape.

The network of Tibetan cooperatives is federated under the Federation of Tibetan Cooperatives in India Ltd. (FTCI), which is registered under India’s Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act. Representing 15 primary cooperative societies across Tibetan settlements in seven Indian states, FTCI facilitates marketing, economic welfare, resource sharing, and joint enterprise among its member societies. The individual societies, however, retain responsibility for their own internal governance and decision-making in accordance with the cooperative laws and by-laws applicable in their respective states.

Addressing the conference, FTCI Chief Executive Officer Norbu Tsering said that while many cooperatives continue to function effectively, they are increasingly confronted by shrinking local markets and an acute shortage of human resources as younger Tibetans migrate to Western countries and major Indian cities for education and employment.

He said the changing economic environment requires cooperatives to diversify beyond their traditional customer base by embracing digital marketing and expanding their outreach to Indian consumers and international visitors. He also noted that with fewer young Tibetans choosing agriculture, the sector on which many cooperatives were originally built, societies should explore new business models, pointing to the growth of the hospitality sector as one example of successful adaptation.

The CEO further stressed that the strength of a cooperative lies in public participation, warning that as individual financial independence has increased, community engagement with cooperative institutions has gradually declined. Rebuilding a collective sense of ownership and participation, he said, will be essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the cooperative movement.

Kalon Paldon Dhundup, head of the home department under the CTA and the chief guest at the opening ceremony, described Tibetan cooperatives as an important pillar of settlement welfare and a source of local employment, particularly for young Tibetans. He urged all cooperative societies to operate strictly in accordance with the cooperative laws and by-laws of their respective states. 

Referring to administrative irregularities identified in the Tibetan settlements of Tezu, Bhandara and Hunsur, the Kalon cautioned that failure to comply with state regulations could have serious consequences. If government audits uncover legal violations, he warned, state authorities have the power to liquidate a cooperative society, placing collectively owned community assets at risk.

Over the next four days, the conference will serve as a key platform for representatives to address these mounting challenges. By focusing on statutory compliance, administrative accountability, and strategic business diversification, the 25th Annual General Conference aims to chart a practical path forward—ensuring that Tibetan primary cooperative societies not only remain legally secure under their respective state regulations but also adapt to modern market realities to safeguard the long-term economic sustainability of the exile settlements.