A prominent cooperator, agricultural marketing leader, and former parliamentarian/legislator, Dr. Bijender Singh has been a long-standing figurehead in strengthening India's cooperative marketing infrastructure. Serving multi-term tenures as the Chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and Vice President of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), he has played a critical role in agricultural price stabilization, direct MSP procurement mechanisms, and expanding multi-state agricultural trade networks to support primary farmer cooperatives across the country.
Born 1954 – Present
- Higher Education: Graduate degree in law and agriculture/public administration; awarded an Honorary Doctorate for lifetime contributions to agricultural marketing and cooperative governance.
- Family Background: Based in Delhi; long actively engaged in public life, legislative affairs, and grassroots social service.
- National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED): Chairman (served multiple consecutive terms) and long-time Board Member, guiding national market intervention schemes.
- National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI): Vice President, contributing to apex policy formulation and cooperative training initiatives.
- Delhi State Cooperative Bank & Marketing Federations: Served in leadership and board positions driving urban and semi-urban cooperative credit networks in the National Capital Territory.
- Public & Legislative Service: Former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Delhi, serving as a key legislative voice for rural and semi-urban agricultural communities.
- Buffer Stock & Price Stabilization: Led NAFED's execution of national buffer stocking for critical commodities like pulses, oilseeds, and onions under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), preventing market gluts and protecting consumer interests.
- Direct MSP Procurement: Integrated digital procurement channels at the primary agricultural society level, enabling farmers in multiple states to sell produce directly at Minimum Support Prices (MSP) without middleman intervention.
- Expanding NAFED Bazaars & Retail Reach: Spearheaded the launch and expansion of direct consumer retail outlets (NAFED Bazaars) to market cooperative-procured products, increasing revenue returns to primary grower-members.
- Keynote addresses, policy articles, and organizational reports on national pulse production, price support mechanisms, and agriculture marketing reforms published in Cooperative Perspective and NAFED institutional newsletters.
- National Merit Award in Agriculture Marketing: Recognized by national agricultural bodies for pioneering market support operations for pulse and oilseed farmers.
- Sahakarita Ratna Honors: Awarded citations by state federations for distinguished service to the national cooperative marketing framework.