Amit Shah Announces Revival of National Heavy Engineering Cooperative by December 2027
He also virtually inaugurated the Western Regional Office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) and launched Bharat Taxi services in Pune.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the revival of NHEC would restore an important cooperative industrial facility and strengthen cooperative-led manufacturing in the country.
Production at the 110-acre complex, which had remained closed for several years, was expected to commence before December 2027, he said.
The revived facility would manufacture machinery for sugar mills, power generation plants, compressed biogas (CBG) plants and equipment for the dairy sector.
It would also take up container manufacturing for overseas markets, he said.
Recalling the institution’s earlier achievements, Shah said NHEC had exported sugar mill machinery to 11 countries, including Zambia, Ethiopia and Vietnam.
The facility had once enjoyed a strong order book, with deliveries taking nearly four years, but its operations subsequently came to a halt.
He said the Ministry of Cooperation had initiated the revival process with the support of institutions such as the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Amul, IFFCO, NCDC, NABARD and IPL. NDDB initially took over the management as administrator, pending audits were completed, investments were mobilised and the board of directors was reconstituted.
The board, at its first meeting on October 9, 2026, resolved to rebuild the institution. A plan had also been prepared to reschedule its liabilities and loans and settle them transparently, he added.
Shah said the project would promote a circular economy in the sugar and dairy sectors, create additional income opportunities for farmers and reduce dependence on imports through better utilisation of industrial by-products.
The second phase would include manufacturing containers for the railways, defence sector and exports, he said.
Referring to Bharat Taxi, he said the cooperative-based service would enable drivers, known as Sarathis, to become owners of the company and receive their entire earnings directly into their bank accounts without commission deductions. The service would be expanded to Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur and Solapur after Pune, he said.
The Western Regional Office of the CRCS would regulate Multi-State Cooperative Societies operating in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
Shah said the establishment of a separate Ministry of Cooperation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given fresh direction to the cooperative movement.
He also highlighted measures taken by the Centre to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, cooperative institutions and the dairy sector.
A Letter of Intent was exchanged between NHEC and IDMC Limited during the programme, while share certificates were distributed to Bharat Taxi Sarathis.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil and senior officials attended the programme.
