T.K. Kishore Kumar of ULCCS has been elected Vice-Chairperson of the ICAE, becoming the first Malayali to hold the post. A key figure in India’s cooperative movement, he brings extensive global experience in agriculture, youth engagement, and digital transformation, strengthening India’s presence in the Asia-Pacific cooperative landscape.
T.K. Kishore Kumar, a senior leader from Kerala’s Uralunkal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS), has achieved a milestone that places both him and the state’s cooperative sector on the global map. He has been elected Vice-Chairperson of the International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific Committee on Agriculture and Environment (ICAE), becoming the first Malayali to hold this prestigious position. The election took place at the ICAE Annual Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where cooperative leaders and policymakers from across the region gathered to discuss the future of agricultural sustainability and environmental resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. The committee will now be chaired by Prof. Madya Dato’ Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak Shaik, with Kishore Kumar taking on a critical leadership role that is expected to influence cooperative-driven agricultural development across Asia.
Kishore Kumar currently serves as the Chief Project Coordinator of ULCCS and the CEO of UL Cyberpark, a rare combination that reflects his deep involvement in both grassroots cooperative development and technology-driven initiatives. His election to the ICAE leadership is seen as recognition of the transformative contributions ULCCS has been making, not only within India but across international cooperative platforms. For Kerala’s cooperative movement, long known for its efficiency and social impact, Kishore’s rise signals a new phase of global engagement and influence.
ICAE, the committee he now helps lead, is an important regional body under the International Co-operative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP), which functions as the Asia-Pacific arm of the global International Cooperative Alliance. The ICAE focuses on agricultural and environmental issues that are increasingly critical to the region—home to the world’s largest population of small farmers and some of its most climate-vulnerable communities. Its work includes advancing sustainable agriculture, promoting innovation in farming practices, supporting climate-change adaptation, strengthening agricultural cooperatives, and improving farmers’ livelihoods. As Vice-Chairperson, Kishore Kumar will play a key role in shaping programs, guiding policy dialogues, and enabling cross-country collaborations that address food security and environmental challenges.
Kishore’s leadership journey has been intrinsically tied to ULCCS, one of India’s oldest and most celebrated worker cooperatives. Founded over a century ago, ULCCS has expanded from a labour contract society to a multi-sector cooperative with expertise in infrastructure, technology, skill development, and social initiatives. As Chief Project Coordinator, Kishore has been instrumental in steering many of ULCCS’s major ventures, including its entry into the technology sector through UL Cyberpark, which has become a symbol of the cooperative movement’s ability to adapt and innovate. His work demonstrates how cooperatives can diversify beyond traditional sectors and become engines of modern development.
Beyond his work in Kerala, Kishore Kumar has played influential roles in national-level cooperative initiatives. He is a director of the National Labour Cooperative Federation of India (NLCF), headquartered in New Delhi, which serves as the apex body for nearly 47,000 cooperatives across the country. Representing ULCCS in the NLCF, Kishore is involved in shaping national strategies for labour cooperatives and advocating for policies that support their growth. His work includes participation in committees dedicated to attracting youth to the cooperative movement—an area where India faces critical challenges, as younger generations often view cooperatives as traditional rather than future-forward. Through his involvement, Kishore has sought to modernize perceptions, encourage innovation, and highlight the cooperative model’s capacity to deliver inclusive development.
Kishore also represents ULCCS and the cooperative sector in various national committees formed by the Ministry of Cooperatives. His expertise has supported policy frameworks that strengthen cooperative governance, improve financial sustainability, and promote digitization within cooperatives. His leadership in these committees underscores his broader commitment to reimagining the role of cooperatives in India’s socio-economic development, ensuring they remain relevant in a rapidly transforming economy.
His election to the ICAE is not merely a reflection of his administrative capabilities but also of his extensive international exposure. Over the years, Kishore Kumar has represented India in several global forums, gaining insights from cooperative models around the world. He was part of study missions to Spain, Italy, and Brazil under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he examined some of the most advanced cooperative ecosystems. These visits offered valuable learnings from countries where cooperatives play central roles in agriculture, community development, and social welfare.
His international engagements also stretch across continents—from conferences in Australia, Sri Lanka, Iran, Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia to collaborative workshops on strengthening cooperative innovation. One of the most notable experiences was his visit to England at the invitation of the British High Commissioner, where he interacted with institutions exploring cooperative-led community development strategies. He also represented India at a workshop in Vietnam organized by the Asian Productivity Organization, focused on advancing digital transformation in member countries. This exposure aligns well with ULCCS’s own digital aspirations through UL Cyberpark and other tech-driven projects.
Kishore’s expertise has also been sought in diplomatic and governmental visits. He was part of the delegation that traveled to Iran along with T.P. Ramakrishnan during his tenure as Kerala’s Labour Minister. These interactions further strengthened cross-country knowledge exchange, showcasing Kerala’s cooperative achievements while learning from international models.
With his new role in ICAE, expectations are high. The Asia-Pacific region faces some of the world’s most immediate agricultural and environmental challenges. Climate change threatens farming communities from coastal regions to highlands, cropping patterns are shifting, and farmers are grappling with rising costs and unpredictable weather. At the same time, cooperatives offer powerful solutions through shared resources, collective bargaining, and community-based decision-making. Kishore Kumar’s leadership is expected to help scale such cooperative approaches across the region.
For Kerala, his election stands as a moment of pride—reflecting the state’s longstanding tradition of robust cooperative governance, community-oriented development, and global engagement. For ULCCS, it marks yet another milestone in its evolution from a rural labour society to an internationally recognized cooperative institution. For India’s cooperative movement, Kishore’s position highlights the country’s growing influence in global cooperative networks and its commitment to advancing sustainable, inclusive development.
As he steps into his role as Vice-Chairperson, Kishore Kumar carries with him the experience of decades in grassroots cooperative development and the vision of a leader who believes in modernization, collaboration, and community empowerment. His leadership promises to bring new energy to ICAE’s mission, helping shape the future of agriculture and environmental stewardship across the Asia-Pacific region. His story stands as an example of how individuals rooted in local development can rise to play transformative roles on the global stage—strengthening cooperatives, advancing sustainability, and bringing communities closer to shared prosperity.
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