The cooperative structure in India consists of different constituents. At the bottom of this structure are the primary societies which render various types of services. Of this large number about 80% is concerned with agriculture. Most of these societies, about 60% deal with credit only. Thus a large majority of primary societies are related to agriculture and credit. They perform various functions such things as credit, irrigation, marketing, transports etc.

These are generally divided into two groups,

(i) Credit societies and (ii) non credit societies each of these two sub groups is further split up into sub groups (a) agricultural societies and (b) non –agricultural societies.

Agricultural societies (both credit and non credit are found in rural areas, but non agricultural societies both credit and non credit) are found in urban areas. For supervision and financial assistance to cooperative credit societies there are central banks and state cooperative banks. The central banks supervise the functioning of the primary societies of a district or part of a district and offer financial assistance to them their capital is drawn from public deposits, share capitals and loans from other sources. Because of variety of sources from which these banks can draw money, they also perform ordinary banking functions also.

At the top of the cooperative credit is the state cooperative bank, at the state level, known as the apex bank. It controls the working of central banks and provides finance to them. It also acts as the link between reserve bank f India from which it borrows and the central banks and primary societies. It directs the cooperative movement in the state. Its capital comes from share capital, public deposits and loans and advances from the state and Reserve bank of India. The National Cooperative Union of India is the apex organization promoting the cooperative movement in the country. All the above three types of institutions are concerned with short and medium term credit of people.

Long term loans are given by Land Development a bank, which has a two tier structure in Tamilnadu. Each taluk is having a Land Development a bank which caters the need of the farmers.