New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) The Centre’s One District- One Product (ODOP) initiative has been expanded, as on December 2025, to over 770 districts, which have now become economic hubs that are enabling local farmers and artisans to produce for global markets, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

The initiative identifies one unique product in every district of the state, provides it with branding, market access, institutional support, and visibility, and empowers the community behind it. Today, these crafts are showcased at international trade exhibitions.

Over 1,200 ODOP products, covering sectors from textiles and food to handicrafts and minerals, have been listed on the digital portal of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Expansion of market linkages through digital platforms has taken place through dedicated ODOP storefronts on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and state-level e-commerce platforms to boost sales and outreach. The success of ODOP lies in its flexible yet structured governance model. It is implemented through the collaborative efforts of Central ministries, state governments, and district administrations.

Under the ODOP initiative, products are selected by states and Union Territories based on the existing ecosystem on the ground and the final list is communicated to the DPIIT.

Through e-commerce initiatives like the GeM-ODOP Bazaar, India’s finest ODOP products are being showcased to wider markets, empowering artisans and expanding market access.

The scheme provides Rs 5,000 crore interest-free support, including at least Rs 100 crore per state, to empower artisans and entrepreneurs. There has also been a rapid rollout with 29 Unity Malls approved across 27 states.

The initiative was launched in 2018 as part of an innovative experiment taking up Moradabad, in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, known for its expertise in brassware production. The success story has now been replicated in the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh, the pioneering state behind the ODOP initiative, has registered a 76 per cent jump in exports from Rs 88,967 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 1.71 lakh crore in 2023-24. Projects worth Rs 6,000 crore have been sanctioned under the ODOP margin money scheme, and more than 1.25 crore ODOP artisans have been trained and provided with modern toolkits.

At the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS) 2025, ODOP gained unprecedented national and global visibility, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting how the initiative has enabled district-specific products from UP to reach international markets. The ODOP Pavilion, at UPITS 2025, featured 466 stalls generating business leads and deals worth Rs 20.77 crore.

–IANS

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