RBI initiates Mission SAKSHAM to Empower Urban Cooperative Banks.

April 29, 2026

Mission-Mode Reform of Cooperative Banking.

Reserve Bank of India has initiated a country wide capacity building programme, called Mission SAKSHAM , of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs). The project will enhance the quality of governance, operational resilience, and professionalise the industry without compromising its community-oriented nature.

It will reach approximately 1.40 lakh participants in the country in the form of a combination of classroom training and digital learning, designed as a mission-mode exercise.

Purpose and Core Objectives

Mission SAKSHAM aims at enhancing the managerial and operational base of UCBs. The key goals are:

Enhancing board performance and governance.
Developing a more compliant culture.
Improving risk management and resilience.
Modernizing UCBs in line with best banking practices.

SAKSHAM is a word that translates to capable, and it is in line with the objective of the programme to transform cooperative banks into more efficient and future-oriented entities.

Who Will be the beneficiaries of the training.

The programme will focus on a wide range of cross-sectional staff in UCB, such as:

Board members and senior management.
Risk and compliance officers.
Audit heads
IT and operation personnel.

The training will be conducted in hybrid forms , i.e., physical and e-learning modules. Course materials will also be provided in the regional languages to make them accessible and have improved outcomes in learning across states.

Collaborative, Sector-Wide Approach

Mission SAKSHAM has been formulated with the consultation of sector bodies such as National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation, national and state level cooperative federations.

This cooperative design will assure that:

The training material is based on practical challenges.
There is sharing of best practices.
The sector has a culture of life-long learning .

The programme seeks to develop a sustainable ecosystem in which cooperative banks will be able to adjust to regulatory and technological change.

Institutional Framework and Regulatory Situation.

Urban Cooperative Banks are regulated in two ways:

The banking operates under the RBI.
Aspects of management which are controlled by state cooperative laws.

RBI was founded in 1935 with the RBI Act and has since then been at the center stage in maintaining financial stability and enhancing the banking institutions in the nation.