UP CM Yogi Adityanath to launch 'One District, One Product' scheme

A month before the Uttar Pradesh government lays out the red carpet for national and international investors at the UP Investors' Summit, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would launch the ambitious One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme next week.

ODOP is aimed at giving a major push to traditional industries synonymous with the respective districts of the state.

UP is uniquely famous for product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts, including Varanasi (Banarasi silk saris), Bhadohi (carpets), Lucknow (chikan), Kanpur (leather goods), Agra (leather footwear), Aligarh (locks), Moradabad (brassware), Meerut (sports goods) and Saharanpur (wooden products).

Adityanath has espoused the ODOP theme and has referred to it at various platforms to underline his pro-industry and pro-employment agenda. The state government wants to help the district-specific industries and products gain national and international recognition through branding, marketing support and easy credit.

On January 14, the chief minister would launch the ODOP scheme and logo on Uttar Pradesh Day. The event would have a trade fair showcasing the collective might of its traditional industries and its large micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) base.

ODOP is basically a Japanese business development concept, which gained prominence in 1979. It is aimed at promoting a competitive and staple product from a specific area to push sales and improve the standard of living of the local population. Over time, it has been replicated in other Asian countries as well.

Meanwhile, UP MSME and Export Promotion Minister Satyadev Pachauri said a textile industry buyer-seller meet would feature international buyers and export houses, apart from textile products of Lucknow, Sitapur, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Unnao and Agra. The state is coordinating with the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Srijan Yojana to provide loan sanction letters to about 1,100 entrepreneurs.

The launch of ODOP would serve as the prelude to the UP Investors’ Summit in Lucknow on February 21-22.