India’s ‘One-District-One-Product’ roadshow in NY to link makers, buyers

The Consulate General of India in New York, in partnership with the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Invest India, held a Roadshow on One-District-One-Product (ODOP) on the 12th of July, 2022. The show was attended by stakeholders from the food, hospitality, textiles and relevant business sectors.   

Consul General Randhir Jaiswal gave the opening remarks, talking about the importance of the ODOP initiative and detailing the uniqueness of the products. From Araku coffee, with its distinctive texture, flavor, and aroma, to the SIMFED turmeric from the organic state of Sikkim, he talked about the individuality and exclusivity of the items on display. 

Joint Secretary from DPIIT, Manmeet Nanda familiarized the audience with the ODOP initiative and its vision. She elaborated that the whole idea of the initiative is to showcase unique products from different districts of India, and that this stems from the mandate of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, focusing on a resilient India that is recognized as a brand globally. Expanding on the same, she talked about the vision of promoting sustainable trade along with creating a direct market link between the makers and buyers of these unique products. Explaining the progress that the initiative has made thus far, Nanda highlighted that more than 700 products with unique quality and large export potential have been identified to date. Each product tells a story – a story of creation, craftsmanship, tradition, custom, and people. Today, India’s unique products have ties all over the world. Farmers in Jammu and Kashmir sell walnuts to distant countries like Europe, and international brands sell Indian Pashmina stoles. 

Representatives of Invest India took forward the discourse and emphasized the four pillars of the ODOP initiative – e-commerce, marketing, licensing, and selling and trade. 

Different products from different parts of the country were showcased, ranging from cardamom tea, millet pasta, saffron, ginger flakes and more. From the north, the range extended from walnut wood carvings to Basohli paintings. From the state of Rajasthan, items of blue pottery were displayed. From the North-East, the variety consisted of coffee, jewelry, and special silks such as Eri Silk and some non-violent silk products. The non-violent silk items are called so as their production does not involve harming of silkworms. 

Members of the diaspora were urged to promote products from their districts and adopt the vision of the ODOP scheme.  They were urged to promote ODOP products through gift giving, socially as well as officially.  Earlier, the Consulate had organized a display of ODOP products at Times Square during the International Day of Yoga celebrations on 21 June 2022. 

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