Cooperative movement in North East India has a major role to play in inclusive economic development and participation of the community. This paper provides a comparative account of the distribution and membership strength of Primary Cooperative Societies and Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) in the eight North Eastern states of India as on March 2024. The research, based on secondary data from the Ministry of Cooperation’s Annual Report (2023–24), reveals significant disparities in the number and size of cooperatives among states. Assam and Manipur are fairly well connected but others like Mizoram, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are under-represented. Moreover, the limited presence of MSCS in the region requires more inter-state collaboration and policy support. The study concludes with proposals to strengthen the cooperative structures in less developed states to promote regional equity and sustainable economic participation through cooperatives.